(Review) 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before'

Hello internet! Today I will be reviewing arguably one of the most popular Netflix Originals, To All The Boys I've Loved Before.

To start things off, I like to go over a few pros, and a few cons.

Pros

1. Fluid Acting

For the most part, the acting in the movie is phenomenal. A few scenes which stood out to me include the cleaning room scene, as well as the scene in which Lara Jean, hits Peter Kavinsky with her car. Not only is the acting outstanding, it's fluid, realistic, and I easily reflect me and my sisters onto the characters due to this.

2. Compelling Story

This and the next point are fairly similar. However, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. The story in this movie is interesting. Yes, for once I'm actually invested in a Netflix Original's plot. Although it can be basic and a bit of a cookie cutter "coming of age" story at times, overall the fake boyfriend plot did intrigue me. This was due to the fact that, it was more than just a fake boyfriend plot. From the ex-best friend to the more popular younger sister plot, they're diverse, connected, and all intriguing.

3. Small Scale and Grounded

A common trope in these type of movies is a large-scale plot. What I mean is the entire school is involved. Everyone suddenly gets a group text changing the school forever. Not only does this movie avoid this trope, it's better off without it. The plot focuses on around six individuals. Rather than the events changing the school, it changes these established characters. It feels very realistic. Now, I'm homeschooled so I wouldn't know, but I'm willing to bet that large-scale events don't happen all too often in high school.

That's all for the pros segment. Now, on to the cons. I was mostly nitpicking. Nonetheless, there are some cons. Let's get into it.

Cons

1. Acting could be overdramatic.

This may sound contradictory. However, at times, the acting was overdramatic. A great example of this is the scene in which Lara Jean is confronted by Peter. It is actually distracting and stuck in my mind, greatly reducing my opinion. Although I make it sound like it makes me hate the movie, I do not. Ultimately, just a few scenes are this way. I believe it could be handled better.

2. Unmemorable Characters

A common theme in movies like this is unmemorable characters. As I was taking notes for this review, I had the names of the six crushes written down in my notebook. More times than not, anytime I would hear a crush's name, I would look at my notebook to remember which one that was. This is mostly due to the vague, at times boring, characters.

3. Slightly Annoying Characters

Probably my biggest issue with this movie was the annoying characters. The main victim of this fault, the ex-boyfriend, whose name I can't remember due to the last point on this list, constantly made me irritated and frustrated. This doesn't make the movie bad. It simply frustrates me that I rooted for him, just for the script to undermine me and turn him into a villian. This is more of a nitpick than a complaint. However, the plot did make a one-eighty when it comes to this character.

That pretty much sums up my thoughts on To All The Boys. Now let's get to the conclusion!

Conclusion

In conclusion, this movie is, for the most part, well acted, and keeps you interested in the plot. However, its shortcomings are apparent but far and few between.

Although the cons were there, I would still rate this movie fairly high.

Ratings: By Netflix Original standards: 8/10. By normal movie standards: 7/10.