The Kissing Booth 2 review: A sweet, funny teen rom-com

The Kissing Booth 2 doesn’t suffer from the sophomore slump

Sequels aren’t always a success. There were some fears that The Kissing Booth 2 wouldn’t quite hit the magic that the first movie did. That certainly wasn’t the case.

If you loved the first movie, The Kissing Booth 2 is a must-watch. You don’t even need to watch the first movie to appreciate this one.

Why is it worth the watch? Here’s a look into the movie with our spoiler-free review.

Keeping the magic of the first movie

One thing The Kissing Booth had going for it was that it wasn’t just about Elle and Noah’s relationship starting up. We had the friendship between Elle and Lee.

While Noah is thousands of miles away, The Kissing Booth 2 keeps the heart of the first movie through that friendship. We get to see Elle be her total self around Lee, not having to worry about what she says and does.

Of course, it can’t last. One of the big problems is Elle being the third week in Lee and Rachel’s relationship, something that Lee doesn’t even see as being a problem. We see the flaw in this best friend relationship. Marco points out that Elle and Lee go everywhere together, but they don’t see it as a problem until Rachel kicks off.

It’s important to have best friends. At the same time, it’s important to be able to tell your friends when you need to spend time with your girlfriend or boyfriend. There’s room in life for all, but Lee isn’t very good at that.

In the end, it all comes down this friendship. Like the first movie, it’s the strongest part of the second. Lee and Elle’s friendship is something we all need in life, even the bad parts.

Figuring out what you want

The Kissing Booth 2 did include another budding romance, or the thought of a romance. It starts with the new kid Marco, who Elle clearly likes physically but it takes time for the two of them to get to know each other.

With this and Noah’s friendship/possible relationship with Chloe at Harvard, Elle has to figure out what she wants. Is she willing to go against her dream of Berkeley for the sake of a guy?

Marco brings it up and so does her dad. Elle just can’t figure out what she should do, and it’s such an important conversation to have. The movie is more than just about a girl in love with a guy but deciding what she really wants to do in life. She needs to figure out where, in her heart, she wants to go to college.

We spend a lot of time thinking about what others want us to do. Elle think about what Noah wants her to do. There’s a reason she doesn’t tell Lee the truth, and it’s not because she doesn’t want to disappoint him when she might not even get into a Boston-based college. It’s because deep down, she knows that maybe it’s not the right thing for her.

The romantic relationships just add drama. This is more about one girl figuring out where she wants to be in the future and who is important to her in her life. It’s something we can all relate to at all ages.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Throughout The Kissing Booth 2, Elle is writing her personal essay for college. Where does she see herself in five years?

It’s a question that will make anyone think. Unlike 13 Reasons Why, Elle doesn’t have the trauma of previous events to work with. Instead, she has to use the events from the movie to figure out what she wants to achieve over the next five years.

The voiceovers are mostly Elle writing her essay. With each hardship, she thinks carefully about what that means. It makes many of us think about five years time. Even now in my 30s, I wouldn’t be able to tell you where I see myself in five years’ time. Why do we put that pressure on 18-year-olds?

Does it help her write a great personal essay? I’ll leave you to find out.

I’ll also leave you to find out who Elle chose. And where she chose to go.

Overall, The Kissing Booth 2 is a cute and funny teen rom-com. It captures the heart of the first movie and definitely doesn’t suffer the sophomore slump. One thing is for certain. We need The Kissing Booth 3 pronto.

What did you think of The Kissing Booth 2? Share your thoughts in the comments below.