Warm and Fuzzy, and Fake?

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is fantastic, feel-good movie

Warm and Fuzzy, and Fake?

Photo via Netflix

From crying over a scrunchie to making you want a fake boyfriend, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is an emotional trip of a movie that will, without a doubt, leave you believing in teenage love again. This new Netflix Original teen romcom is definitely cheesy, but absolutely charming.

The story follows main character Lara Jean Covey, played by Lana Condor, who has written a secret love letter to every one of her crushes which somehow get mailed to each recipient. In order to hide the fact that she has feelings for her sister’s boyfriend, her and past crush Peter Kavinsky, played by Noah Centineo, (who is trying to make his ex jealous) decide to fake a relationship and make the whole school think they’re dating. Obviously, chaos ensues.

Yes, I know that I am a teenage girl who is obsessed with reading and watching cheesy love stories just like this one, but To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before not only meets, but exceeds a few expectations I didn’t even realize I had until I saw it.

To begin with, this movie has more character depth than other romcoms. Lara Jean is the pinnacle of a beautiful character; even after watching an entire movie about her, you feel as though you never really understand her complex emotions, reasons for her actions, and funny quirks. She’s also extremely relatable: having an endlessly messy room, being a terrible driver and having fights with siblings are all very real for a high school junior. She shows strength, bravery, newfound confidence and perseverance through hard times on a whole new level for a teen movie.

The cast behind To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was also an amazing asset to the movie. They had great chemistry: the Covey family and its father-daughter relationships felt so real on screen, not to mention a different kind of chemistry between Lara Jean and Peter. Lara Jean’s little sister Kitty, played by Anna Cathcart, is apparently now a Twitter-proclaimed feminist icon as well. The characters’ individual performances throughout the movie keep you wondering how old these talented young actors actually are, and the way they work together makes it obvious they had a ton of fun shooting the movie.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before also features a stellar soundtrack. The modern tracks don’t distract from the movie, and if anything, add to it. I’ve been listening to it on repeat since I’ve watched the movie. It’s a cool soundtrack that wraps you up in the high school storyline and made me wonder, “is this the type of music Lara Jean would listen to?”

With so many elements adding up to create a great movie, it’s no wonder To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before has earned a score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and my heart. If you’re looking for a movie that will make you feel giddy, will have some nice 80’s movie references, and will be unique and complex (for a romcom), then this one’s for you.