Movie Review: 'To All the Boys: Always and Forever'

I must admit my complete ignorance of Netflix’s To All the Boys film series. Until the pandemic began, I didn’t do much Netflix and chill, I was busy at the movie theater. I would take time to check out Netflix when they did something big and splashy like The Irishman, but, for the most part, I ignored the rest of the streaming channel’s output, especially their many, MANY, young adult products which are so numerous as to have completely run together into a blob of high schools and hormones.

What a pleasant surprise it was then when Netflix sent me a link to watch To All the Boys: Always and Forever. I would normally have ignored such a product, assuming it was just more mass young adult product that I had no interest in. But, this is the time of the pandemic and chill, I had no choice but to give the movie a chance and I was pleasantly surprised. A smart young star, a charming romance and a good deal of good natured silliness, To All the Boys 3 is almost good enough to make me go back and watch the first two movies… almost.

To All the Boys Always and Forever picks up the story of Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor) as she and her family, including dad Dan (John Corbett) and sisters, Kitty (Anna Cathcart) and Margot (Janel Parrish), are enjoying a vacation in Japan. It’s a trip in tribute to the girls' late mother and while Lara Jean is loving the time with family, she can’t help but miss her beloved boyfriend Peter (Noah Centineo).

Once back home in California it’s on with the plot which finds Lara Jean desperately trying to get into Stanford University where Peter has already received a scholarship to play Lacrosse. LJ dreams of going to college and starting her life with Peter which she vividly imagines as college, marriage and a baby, along with her dream of being a bestselling author. Naturally, these plans don’t come about. LJ doesn’t get into Stanford and she and Peter must come to terms with being apart at college.

Stanford may have not chosen LJ but it’s not all bad news as two other schools have offered her a place. California Berkley is only one hour away from Stanford and means that she and Peter would be only a short drive away from each other. The other option however, is also very attractive. While on a school trip to New York City, LJ falls in love with the big city and dreams of living and working there.

When the school trip is over, LJ finds that she’s been admitted to NYU and their incredible writer’s course. Overcome with a desire to try her hand in New York City, LJ must first deal with how to tell Peter that instead of being one hour away at Berkley, she will be 3000 miles away in New York City for four years. Will they be able to stay together isn’t so the question as much as will they even try to stay together or end their relationship now?

I won’t sit here and say that I was blown away by To All the Boys 3, it’s not a game changer in young adult cinema by any stretch. That said, for something with such low ambition, it’s a real charmer. Star Lana Condor has a plucky likability that is undeniable. Condor has her own vibe, a unique energy that allows her to shift gears from being awkward and funny to sad and sympathetic with great ease. She’s the center of the movie and she’s charismatic enough to get you to invest in her in the way a good romantic comedy lead does.

What’s really impressive about To All the Boys: Always and Forever, is that it rarely feels like a sequel. This feels very much like a standalone movie. Unlike many movie franchises that have reached multiple sequels, I never for one moment felt like I was missing something. The movie doesn’t rely on your knowledge of the earlier movies to follow the simple, straight forward story being told in To All the Boys 3.

To All the Boys: Always and Forever debuts on Netflix on Friday, February 12th, 2021.