There’s been a lot of focus on one subject during the entire series of The Kissing Booth: Which guy will Elle choose?
Her BFF’s loyalty will be tested as well as her relationship with her ex-boyfriend’s brother. Will she pursue a fresh romance with the beautiful new exchange student, or will she try to work things out with her boyfriend? And what about the university? Which college will Elle (Joey King) attend: Berkeley to be near Lee (Joel Courtney) or Harvard so she can spend more time with Noah (Jacob Elordi)
Kissing Booth 3, Netflix’s much-anticipated sequel to Kissing Booth 2, finally answers that last question. We won’t spoil the big reveal, but we will say that the drama has almost tenfold since the last time. Of course, fans of Kissing Booth will enjoy this iteration’s fun and goofy moments as well. But, in comparison to the first two films, how does it fare? Is it worth the time and effort to watch?
The first two films were a tad disappointing, just for the record. In particular, we didn’t appreciate how these films glamorised unhealthy relationships. Some of me hoped that these issues would be addressed/fixed in The Kissing Booth 3 despite our dissatisfaction with this series.
If you’re not familiar with the storyline, Elle spends the summer trying to put off deciding where she’ll attend college. While home for the summer, she focuses on completing a big “Beach Bucket List” of fun things with her best friend.
We were irritated at the beginning of the film because we had great hopes. But, unfortunately, Elle begins by making the same mistakes over and over again. As usual, Noah feels envious and possessive. Even after these years, Lee still believes that he is entitled to Elle’s attention and undivided commitment. Lee’s mother reveals that choosing between different men was never the underlying issue as luck would have it. It takes her weeks and weeks to figure out how to manage a summer job taking care of her best friend and boyfriend’s demands.
Since Chloe is still involved, there’s a lot of tension and awkwardness to deal with. Despite Marco’s continued pursuit of Elle, Chloe establishes a stronger friendship with Noah, which strains the relationship between Elle and Noah. Aside from that, Elle has a problem with her dad’s new love interest, who she believes is trying to replace her mother.
A lot happens in a film. Despite this, it still has a positive atmosphere. No shortage of corny romance scenes and raucous parties, but none of them truly drew me in. Elle’s maturity when she confides in Lee about focusing on what she wants, on the other hand, really impressed us. It was much more interesting to watch Lee ultimately accept that he cannot have everything he wants. As for Noah, he made a surprise and selfless decision for Elle.
However, despite these tiny improvements, we still wouldn’t call this film a must-see. A few things don’t make sense, and there are plenty of hackneyed tropes throughout the film. That said, we have a feeling that devoted fans will like this. Though dramatic and predictable, it does a decent job of wrapping up loose ends and displaying character development.
