Review of To All the Boys: PS I Still Love You

To All the Boys: PS I Still Love You, the sequel to Netflix’s 2018 romantic comedy, and based on Jenny Han’s YA novel was released just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The film begins right where To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before ended, with Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor) and Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) navigating the challenges of being a real couple in high school. As their differing personalities clash, more drama is introduced when one of Lara Jean’s former crushes, John Ambrose McClaren (Jordan Fisher), responds to her love letter and comes back into her life. When her insecurities about Peter’s past relationship and popularity cause her to overthink, Lara Jean is reminded of how easy it is to spend time with John Ambrose as they volunteer together at Belleview, a retirement home. The audience is forced to choose which relationship suits her best. 

While its predecessor avoided romantic tropes, the second film fails to establish the same originality. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before was a successful rom-com that made the decision to cast an Asian American actress, Lana Condor, as its protagonist. After her intrusive sister Kitty mails out all of her love letters, Lara Jean is forced to stop daydreaming and face reality. By introducing quirky characters who deal with modern issues such as cyberbullying, the film avoided stereotypes and made itself relatable to teenage audiences. 

PS I Still Love You struggles with being creative because it begins after “happily ever after” has occurred and has to keep the franchise going by continuously fabricating new incidents and problems. Featuring fancy dinners, over the top ball gowns, and walks in the snow, the movie chooses to embrace conventional ideas about dating and does not fully develop its new characters. Most notably, although John Ambrose is portrayed as a nice person who cares about Lara Jean, he lacks a real personality beyond his infatuation with her. 

In today’s society, with population threatening issues such as global warming and viruses, romantic comedies are a lighthearted form of entertainment that give audiences a break from reality. Even with its lack of originality, Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky are still able to delight fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before with their eccentric personalities.