Today: Mar 18, 2024

‘To All the Boys’ sequel opens up new love triangle

J’Mari Hughes Copy Editor

In 2018, romance-lovers and Netflix-users saw Lara Jean Covey’s love letters get sent out to five different guys in the film adaption of “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” originally a novel by Jenny Han.

After Kenny’s letter was shipped back to her and Lucas turned out to be gay, Lara Jean, played by Lana Condor, began a relationship with Peter Kavinsky, played by Noah Centineo, after pretending to like him in efforts to keep Josh, her sister’s exboyfriend, from knowing her real feelings revealed in her letter to him.

In the post-credits scene, John Ambrose McClaren was greeted at Lara Jean’s door by her younger sister Kitty, the sender of the letters, revealing that he, too, received one.

Wednesday, Feb. 12, Netflix dropped the sequel “P.S. I Still Love You” and viewers were finally able to see what happened between Lara Jean and John Ambrose, played by Jordan Fisher, and thus #TeamPeter and #TeamJohn took over Twitter.

The film begins with a jolly Lara Jean dancing to 80’s music around her room in a series of costume changes.

She nervously, but excitedly prepares for her first date, and — cue the swelling music and slow zoom — a bouquet-baring Peter is at her door ready to whisk her away.

The movie continued its series of magical, mushy moments by capturing a teenage girl fantasy of the two out at fancy restaurants, attending a carnival and releasing a lantern flaunting their initials into the night sky, or multiple instances in which I repeatedly rewound the movie to ask myself, “Why are they so cute?” They promise not to break each other’s hearts and Peter even lets her drive his car, as Lara Jean’s fear of driving is no more — so long as she is not in the snow.

Lara Jean then begins to volunteer at an old folks home called Belleview, where she is reunited with John Ambrose, her fellow and only other volunteer, and is instantly charmed by his presence. She asks him to return the love letter, which he promises to do, providing she gives it back to him so he can have proof that a girl once liked him.

Upon rereading the letter she sent five years prior — the one that reads “I love you John Ambrose, I really love you,” she decides not to disclose her relationship with Peter to him.

But after John Ambrose finds out, Peter is spotted with his ex and Lara Jean breaks up with him. Soon after, Peter takes back the necklace he bought her for Valentine’s Day, and heartbroken, Lara Jean knows it is actually over.

At Belleview, Lara Jean and John Ambrose put on a ball for the senior citizens.. Dressed in a teal ball gown and his father’s tuxedo, respectively, the two slow dance and reminisce to their lives together in the past, and later go outside into the snowfall and make snow angels before they share a romantic kiss.

Despite the fairytale scenery, despite the giggles and happiness, and despite the nostalgia she feels with John Ambrose, Lara Jean realizes he is not the one for her Peter is. She leaves to find him and just makes it out the door when she is met with a familiar face: it is Peter, who tells her, “You said you didn’t like driving in the snow, right?” The two reconcile and live up to Lara Jean’s hopes of a happily ever after.

The movie certainly met my expectations and was worth the two year wait. Condor’s display of an awkward hopeless romantic is absolutely adorable and makes for a loveable character.

Despite appearing in a slew of bad Netflix movies, Centineo maintains to capture Kavinsky in a light that makes females swoon and viewers in favor of “Covinsky,” and lastly, Fisher’s charm and heartwarming portrayal as a whole made it hard not to lean over to the #TeamJohn side.

Overall, the movie, and its stellar cinematography and admirable love story, checks every item off the list of chick-flick necessity, and is perfect for Valentine’s Day, girls’ night or any random day of the week. “To All the Boys 3” here we come.

Photo Credit: J’Mari Hughes

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