Ever since “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” and its sequel “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” aired on Netflix, I’ve spent long nights watching the movies with a bowl of popcorn and a Coca-Cola by my side. 

Once “To All The Boys: Always And Forever” was released on Netflix last Friday, it seemed obvious that I had to stop all movement and press play.

I’ve never read Jenny Han’s books that the movies are based on, but the way Michael Fimognari directed the film was concise to understand the plot. 

This was definitely not the best movie in the trilogy, but it served its audience necessary closure with the characters after a long wait. 

“To All The Boys: Always And Forever” follows the story of Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and her boyfriend Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) as they navigate the ins-and-outs of a high school relationship their senior year. 

Applying to colleges adds to the stress of sticking together, and they both plan to attend Stanford in order to preserve their relationship after high school. However, their plans all come crashing down when Lara Jean does not gain admission to the university and wants to pursue another college instead. 

Peter is adamantly against long-distance relationships and sees that the majority of them have unsuccessful outcomes, which leaves Lara Jean basing her attendance at any university on the proximity to Stanford to stay close to Peter.

The movie encompasses themes of pursuing passion in careers and universities, sticking close to culture and heritage (Lara Jean is half Korean) and understanding the struggles of high school and entering the “real world.” 

It’s off-putting that Peter expects Lara Jean to attend Stanford, and does not let her spread her wings and seek opportunities elsewhere. The constant pressure that was placed on Lara Jean throughout the relationship and the persuasion that long-distance relationships don’t work out was unsettling.

However, I really enjoyed the connection and representation of Asian culture and interracial couples into the film, as it is one of the major movies with Asian representation. 

The movie had a plot that provided character development for Peter and Lara Jean individually and as a couple, which was definitely needed. At times, the plot was a little boring because it was a little slow; however, the major events in the film did grab my attention occasionally.

My rating for this movie would be 6/10 because it was a little slow at times, and I did not particularly like the way that Peter was adamant about Lara Jean and her future endeavors in college.