Noah Centineo does not take long in Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before to blossom into the next rom-com heartthrob.
The transformation occurs as his character almost gets run over. Thanks to Lara Jean Covey’s haphazard driving in their high school parking lot. Lara Jean, is instantly humiliated, wanting merely to retreat to her perceived status of the class wallflower. Centineo’s character instead wants to playfully confront her.
At this point in the movie, he is simply the stereotypical, ultra-cool jock. Who also dates the movie’s version of Regina George and sits on top of cafeteria tables during lunch. Here, he talks to Lara Jean in an almost intimate way, knowing that teasing her will make her even more awkward. He is confident but not cocky, kindly maintaining eye contact that she is not reciprocating.
After joking, “Do you think you’re going to be able to make it out of the parking lot?” he makes a wry smile. The look is thoughtful and sympathetic, coming from an actor who looks like an exact clone of a young Mark Ruffalo (another rom-com heartthrob in his day). In that moment, he is not a one-dimensional jock. “Who was that?” asks sparky sister Kitty Covey when he leaves. Lara Jean replies, “That was Peter Kavinsky.”
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is adapted from a YA novel of the same name by Jenny Han. Han actually makes a quick cameo (that will be revisited later in this review). Lara Jean, played brilliantly by Lana Condor, is the passionate, quirky narrator of a story revolving around five letters that she has written to the five boys she has had overwhelming feelings for over the course of her life. One of them, it turns out, was written for Peter Kavinsky, in the 7th grade. The most recent is for Josh Sanderson. Who just happens to be the serious boyfriend of her older sister, Margot. Lara Jean writes the letters to express her wildest romantic fantasies, but then keeps them hidden in a fabric box, never to be sent.
Kitty, easily the most conniving of the three Korean-American sisters, decides to slap stamps on the letters and mail them, in an effort to force her sister to break out of her shell. Suddenly, the girl who finds comfort in being invisible must deal with the consequences of keeping her feeling bottled up for so long.
Since Josh is the most recent and most embarrassing crush, Lara Jean needs to find a way for him and Margot to think she doesn’t actually like him. Coincidentally, Peter is searching for a reason to make his recent ex-girlfriend (the Regina George stand-in) jealous. Peter and Lara Jean then make a formal agreement, contract and all, to pretend like they are in a relationship in order to fool everyone else involved.
The fake dating movie premise is not new, but it fits 2018 like a glove. Modern teenage relationships are more performative than ever before. Healthy high school couples are practically need to have strong social media presences. Peter navigates Lara Jean through the rough waters of Instagram selfies, Snapchat stories, and silly phone wallpapers, since he is the only one with any dating experience.
Lara Jean’s cluelessness when it comes to dating is the comedic and emotional core of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Director Susan Johnson’s camera movements are frantic. Her images are colorful and crisp. Just as innocent as Lara Jean herself. She’s as witty as most YA protagonists, but Condor’s conviction keeps the character grounded. Condor and Centineo each embrace the John Hughes rom-com roles they’re both emulating and referencing. Lara Jean writes a Sixteen Candles date night in their contract, seconds before Peter achieves ultimate bro status, by writing in a Fight Club double feature.
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before perfectly executes a teenager’s transition from romantic fantasy to reality. The first shot of the film shows Lara Jean and Josh blissfully wandering in a “Field of Desire”. Dreamlike mirages of these boys appear in her bedroom to plead their case for Lara Jean’s affection. The letters themselves are Lara Jean’s way of standing on a ledge. She peers into the chaotic abyss of romantic relationships, yet never ever jumps in.
The fantasy extends to the rest of her social life, which is practically nonexistent. She does have a few close friends, but she is only herself when saround her family. Lara Jean’s timidity is honest and understandable. Still recovering from the loss of her mother. Part of what makes Peter so lovable is his natural ability to peel away Lara Jean’s layers.
As the movie progresses, the fantastical dream sequences fade away and become sincere relationships. Johnson isn’t saying that romantic fantasies are silly or detrimental to a teenager. More so they’re really the first steps a young person takes to emotional courage and vulnerability.
Jenny Han’s cameo comes in a flashback to Lara Jean’s freshman year homecoming dance, where a boy (one of the five) takes her hand and dances with her. Han is a chaperone grinning ear to ear, watching her beloved protagonist be carefree and unguarded. In a movie full of sweet moments, Han’s cameo just might be its sweetest.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a heartfelt modernization of the John Hughes classics. Its two leads are burgeoning superstars and the movie has dominated online discourse since its release. Netflix has a hit on its hands. Even a Marvel-esque mid-credits scene reveals these characters might not be going away anytime soon.
