Which Netflix romantic comedy sequel is better — To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You or The Kissing Booth 2? Both coming-of-age films were released in 2020, and both include teenage female protagonists who have strong feelings for two different guys. In terms of filmmaking and storytelling, To All the Boys 2 is the more polished sequel.
Based on the films' wildly different Rotten Tomatoes scores, critics seem to love To All the Boys 2 much more than The Kissing Booth 2. However, that doesn't mean that general Netflix streamers feel the same way. For example, The Kissing Booth 2 may feel more relatable to young viewers with its dialogue and themes. Joey King reprises her role as Elle Evans, a Los Angeles native whose personal insecurities and inability to make firm decisions result in conflict with her friends and boyfriend, Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi). The dialogue of Vince Marcello's sequel is edgy but not inappropriate, and the film is loaded up with a soundtrack that allows for a feel-good experience over the course of 131 minutes. Michael Fimognari's To All the Boys 2 is trimmer at 102 minutes, with Lana Condor reprising her role as Lara Jean Covey, a half-Korean California teenager who tries to figure out if the endearing Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) is the right guy for her.
For a narrative hook, To All the Boys 2 has a more original premise. Based on Jenny Han's 2015 novel P.S. I Still Love You, the full title directly links to the original film, whereas The Kissing Booth 2 mostly strays from its original premise — a fundraiser organized by Elle and her best friend, Lee (Joel Courtney), who isn't even a romantic option in the sequel. In fact, Lee is overshadowed by the arrival of transfer student Marco (Taylor Zakhar Perez), who livens up the storyline with his competitive spirit and positive outlook. As for To All the Boys 2, the addition of John Ambrose McClaren (Jordan Fisher) as Lara Jean's potential love interest doesn't really go anywhere. He gets dumped after making snow angels, whereas The Kissing Booth 2's Marco gets rejected, but then implies that he still has feelings for Elle and wants to pursue them. At 131 minutes, The Kissing Booth 2 is overstuffed; yet, it includes a fascinating cliffhanger. At 102 minutes, To All the Boys 2 is better-structured but entirely predictable.
To All the Boys 2 excels with its writing and central romance. Lara Jean's fascination with Peter stems from the original group of love letters that were accidentally mailed out, and so viewers have a clear narrative to follow, one that's mostly focused on the chemistry between the two main protagonists. Plus, Condor and Centineo sell the central romance with their electric onscreen chemistry. Both performers are clearly stars-in-the-making. In The Kissing Booth 2, King has to carry the load as Elle and doesn't receive strong dialogue, evidenced by the plethora of rom-com cliches. In addition, Elordi just isn't that exciting as Noah, a character who spends most of the sequel brooding while streamers try to figure out if he actually cheated on Elle at Harvard. If The Kissing Booth 2 had focused primarily on Elle and Marco, then the narrative structure would be tighter and the story would be more captivating. Marcello aims high with his adaptation of Beth Reekles' source material, but spends too much time hiding the motivations of the primary male lead.
As a whole, To All the Boys 2 feels organic. It's a sequel that feels like a streaming event, one that lives up to the hype. Unfortunately for The Kissing Booth 2, it tries too hard to be a modern classic. Marcello's film is full of familiar tropes that are meant to appeal to viewers, but it simply drags on too much. The sequel does, however, provide a big platform for King, who previously displayed her acting chops in The Act with a Golden Globe-nominated performance. To be fair, The Kissing Booth 2 seems like it's more invested in the psychology of its characters, as they deal with dark thoughts and confusion about who they want to be. So, there will certainly be much to explore in The Kissing Booth 3. As a piece of filmmaking, To All the Boys 2 is the more accessible and more polished film. It's an effective sequel, a Netflix and chill classic.