The third installment of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series, To All the Boys: Always and Forever, was released on Netflix on Friday, Feb. 12. In this movie we find Lara Jean Covey involved in yet another battle for her heart. However, this time the battle isn’t between two boys like the previous two movies. This time, Covey must choose between attending a college close to her boyfriend, Peter Kavinksy, and going across the country to attend her dream school.
After Covey and Kavinsky’s plan to attend the same school so they’ll never be apart is ruined, the couple must make decisions about their relationship and what the two of them want for themselves individually. The movie starts with Covey in Korea with her family during spring break and goes on to highlight important events throughout the last quarter of her senior year of high school. These events include a senior trip to New York City, prom and, of course, the big decisions that come with figuring out what will happen after graduation.
The first thing that captures the audience’s attention when watching To All the Boys: Always and Forever is the music. The first song is groovy and fun. It draws people in and excites for what the rest of the movie will bring. The rest of the songs are upbeat and fun to dance to. The song, “I Like Me Better” by Lauv, from the first movie was also reincorporated into this third movie, creating a sort of full circle moment.
Another aspect great from this movie is how there were references to the first movie. The audience can reflect and think back to when Covey and Kavinsky first started their love story and then see them now. Character development is apparent with these two, but it is also apparent with the other secondary characters. It was cool to see how they have all kept their core traits while still growing and changing.
The character with the most growth is definitely Covey’s ex-best friend, Genevieve, who is now on better terms with Covey than she previously was. It was interesting to see the two characters interact in a new way in this installment of the series. There was some appreciated focus on the other secondary characters’ storylines as well.
The transitional graphics between some of the scenes were not only helpful for keeping up with the time jumps, but they were also nicely done in terms of style. There were similar transitions in the first movie, and the creators returned to this theme in this movie. The graphics in this third installment were animated illustrations and definitely fit the overall style of the movie.
The movie incorporated all of the different emotions with sweet moments, funny moments and sad moments. The strong bond that Covey has with her sisters and her dad is displayed wonderfully and it is refreshing to see how their family has grown while still staying close to one another. Covey’s younger sister, Kitty, is a spit fire providing some laughs with her one-liners.
One criticism about the movie is how the storyline was predictable. Yes, sometimes it’s nice to have some predictability in life, but more surprises throughout the movie would have been appreciated. Going in a different direction than the typical high school love story would have made the movie stand out a little more from other movies in its genre.
Overall, this movie worked well as the third installment to the series and it pleased the audience. It did a nice job of reflecting on the series as a whole, and it tied everything up well. If you have seen the previous two movies in the series, I recommend watching To All the Boys: Always and Forever.
