After years of movies, the final installment in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before film series is here. To All the Boys: Always and Forever is the third film in the series, and features Lana Condor’s Lara Jean and Noah Centineo’s Peter as they get ready to head to college. After some complications arise, Lara Jean must figure out what she really wants for her future.
Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky’s romance fired up the YA fan in all of us with the first two films, which led to both actors becoming famous overnight (which apparently was a huge adjustment that neither of them could prepare for). After the release of the first film in 2018, Noah Centineo’s social media follower count went from 300,000 to 11 million in just one week (and he had a pretty terrifying fan encounter). Now we get to watch how it all ends for Lara Jean and Peter in To All the Boys: Always and Forever.
If you're trying to decide how to spend your Valentine’s weekend, To All the Boys: Always and Forever just debuted on Netflix today, and critics have already started to post their reviews for the film.
CinemaBlend’s own Sarah El-Mahmoud rated the film three out of five stars. She applauds the genuine chemistry between Lana Condor and Noah Centineo and the way Always and Forever ties up all of the narratives from the franchise. She says:
Always and Forever should be applauded for kicking the excess teen drama to the curb, and just telling a sincere-yet-sugary story about falling in love in high school.
Kimber Myers of the Los Angeles Times complements the series’ ability to develop characters, pointing out how the series allows Lara Jean and the characters around her to grow with surprising depth. She said:
Returning director Michael Fimognari and screenwriter Katie Lovejoy have made a love letter to all of these characters — not just Lara Jean and Peter — and audiences will find it hard not to be smitten too.
Kate Erbland from IndieWire remarks on the overstuffed nature of the film, saying that “There’s just too much here,” but admits that To All the Boys: Always and Forever still keeps the audience invested in the lead pair of actors. She comments on the franchise as a whole, saying:
These are warm, fun, and funny films that never let their rom-com wackiness get in the way of hard-won affection.
Peter Debruge of Variety was impressed by the development of the supporting cast, such as Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart, and Sarayu Blue, as well as the growth of the main couple. He also noted:
The sequels have been unnecessary but not unappreciated, and this one gives fans a chance to spend more time with the couple (even if some of us may question whether she chose the right guy).
Mary Sollosi of Entertainment Weekly was not very impressed with To All The Boys: Always And Forever. She notes that the film doesn’t really know what to do with the main couple now that they are firmly, well, a couple. Mary comments that the film reduces each of the main actors to their quirks, “as if to remind its viewers that these are the characters they loved once before, rather than trying to make anyone love them at this moment in their lives.” They go on to say:
It's a shame that what was once a bit of an underdog love story, rendered all in dreamy blues and quiet feelings, has been blown up into a tricked-out globetrotting fantasy of gooey devotion.
Well, you can judge To All The Boys: Always And Forever for yourself on Netflix as it debuts on the streaming platform today. You can also check out the rest of the movies coming out this year after you've finished watching the conclusion to Lara Jean and Peter's story.
