The most anticipated Netflix sequel of 2020.
Source: Looper
Note: I know you want to watch, so I won't spoil the ending!
The last few weeks I’ve reviewed some absolute stinkers that have made me want to headbutt nails, so I was super excited to watch this movie, because I secretly loved the first one, but more importantly, because the two lead actors are exes and there’s just something so exciting about watching every scene to see if they subtly cringe, which they do not.
OG Recap
Yes, I loved the first one, but I only have so much room in my tiny mind to remember movies and The Kissing Booth OG was long gone, so here’s a quick recap. Elle (Joey King, from The Act) and Lee (Joel Courtney) have been best friends since they were born at the same hospital together, but she has a super big crush on his older brother Noah (Jacob Elordi from Euphoria & also, Australian!) Elle and Lee set up a Kissing Booth for the school fundraiser, Noah’s there, Elle and Noah kiss and sparks fly. They keep hooking up in secret, it gets slightly messy when Lee walks in on them, but they kiss and makeup. The end.
Cue the sequel and buckle up, because this movie goes for over two hours and there is SO MUCH going on. I’m going to try and keep it tight with no spoilers because I strongly suspect a lot of you will actually watch this one.
Surely that uniform situation is detention for a week. Source: The Insider
The Kissing Booth 2: The Plot
Elle has just had the best summer of her life with her super-hot boyfriend Noah in Santa Monica (which is actually Cape Town, South Africa), at his super-rich beach house, playing video games, going on cute dates, but then Noah has to go to Harvard, 3000 miles across the country. I think Harvard sponsored this movie because you’ll see it flash up approximately 2343 times. Elle has to go back to school. Tbh I’m not sure if it’s a school or a porno set because their uniforms are very short, very tight and they legit wear 9-inch heels.
Long-distance is so hard you guys. Noah is caught up with trying to adjust to a place that doesn’t care that he’s Prom King hawt. Elle is trying to find herself and keep herself distracted from missing Noah. She tags along everywhere with Lee and his gf and because the gf is not interested in a throuple she gets real filthy about it.
Hello new boyfriend. Source: Buzzfeed
Just when you think they might get the hang of long-distance, enter thirst traps. There’s a new guy at school, Marco, and is he a teacher? Because he legit looks 30. No, he’s a student, a very mature looking student. He can also sing and play the guitar which makes Elle extra thirsty. At the same time,Noah has struck up a friendship with basically a British supermodel.
Lee and Elle are massive video game nerds. They even do a podcast about it, I should call her to get some tips. They’re at the local arcade when they notice a $50,000 prize for the winner of a Dance, Dance, Mania competition. You know the arcade game where you have to follow the moves on the screen with your feet? She could totally pay for college with $50,000. Much like The Brady Bunch Movie Talent Competition, this is a disproportionate amount of prize money in order to suit the movie plot.
Uh Oh Source: Indiewire
Lee sees an out. He pretends to hurt his ankle so Marco can replace him in the Dance, Dance team and he can spend time with his gf. So, hot Marco steps in and they train every day after school. He’s actually so old. They train, and go on the ferris wheel together, have d&ms on the beach and dance together at the Halloween school dance. We know where this is going…
I bet this position is triggering for the exes. Source: Cosmo
Elle visits Noah in Boston and it’s a date montage – which I am absolutely frothing because they’re exes in real life! But it’s still a little awks when Elle looks like a child at the table with Noah’s new intellectual friends inc. Chloe. Think the American version of Marianne’s friends in Normal People. She leaves Boston very sad and unsure about the future of her relationship with Noah…
Before the Boston trip, Noah had convinced Elle to apply to Harvard, which breaks her best friend code with Lee where they have to apply to the same university, UC Berkely, which is so stupid, FYI. Lee finds out. He throws his toys out of the pram. Things really go pear shape from here.
Who's it going to be?! Source: Cinema Blend
Things are a real mess for Elle. Her bestie is throwing shade at her, she has a big, fat crush on the new hot guy and her relationship is not on solid ground. But, instead of having ‘one climax’ which you will usually recognise in my reviews by “It’s the day of the big...”, there are not one, but FOUR! The dance competition, Thanksgiving lunch, the kissing booth and Homecoming. Actually 4.5, there’s very nearly an airport scene, which after last week I just could not handle. But, it’s a lot.
By the end, there are still questions, but I think that was just a very strong hint from the film-makers that they’d like a threequel.
I feel like I’ve got so many good notes on this movie, but if I went into more detail we’d be here for an hour, which none of us has the attention span for. While there is A LOT going on in this movie, it’s is all predictable basic-bitch storylines, so don’t worry, you’ll have no trouble following. I’m not sure it commands a 2 hour and 12-minute length though. I didn’t finish the movie until after 10pm, which is well past my bedtime.
6/10 for mine.
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