The Kissing Booth Two Review: The Rom-Com Sequel We Didn’t Really Need
When The Kissing Booth first premiered, I can’t say I was particularly impressed. Sure, it possessed the underlying thread of any classic teen rom-com, but it also had a controlling and toxic male lead, clunky dialogue, a story that lacked depth, and performances that left much to be desired.
That being said, I was excited about The Kissing Booth 2. Leads Jacob Elordi and Joey King have both found success in critically acclaimed series since the first film dropped, and they’ve clearly grown as actors. With a second chance to do it better this time, I hoped to see more complex storylines that righted it’s highly criticized wrongs.
To a certain degree, I got what I ask for. In other ways, I feel like I watched the same movie twice.
Elordi and King bring undoubtedly better performances to the table this time around, and their chemistry (despite being an ex-couple in real life) is enough to set off fireworks. There’s also significantly better dialogue in the second installment, where jokes land naturally and emotional moments feel far more grounded.
Unfortunately, the improvements basically end there.
Noah and Elle’s chemistry may not skip a beat, but the film still leaves you wondering why they’re so in love to begin with. Their relationship exists almost solely in a series of montages (boy, does this film love a montage), but never actually takes the time to highlight why these two characters are so deeply connected.
When it comes to Noah and Elle, we only see the arguments and the grand romantic gestures. This is a teen rom-com, so romantic gestures are a given, but a couple still needs to give more if they’re going to be something worthy of investment.
Ironically, the film does take its time developing a different relationship — one between Elle and newcomer Marco.
Elle is introduced to Marco alongside the audience, so the film can’t rely on the expository “old friends” trope (or more montages) to explain their connection. Instead, it’s forced to slow down and actually grow their dynamic over time — Elle and Marco spend the greater part of the film becoming friends and creating a special bond.
One that has just as much electricity as the bond between Elle and Noah.
The best thing about Marco and Elle’s scenes, however, is how they truly dive beneath the surface in getting to know one another.
At one point, Marco comforts Elle on the beach as she confesses her relationship problems. In another scene –possibly the best of the film — Marco and Elle talk on a Ferris wheel about the future, and Marco teaches her the importance of “just being happy.”
“Being happy” is vastly different from what both Noah, and best friend Lee, demand of Elle. The Flynn brothers constantly place her in the roles they need her to fill, with little regard to what Elle actually wants.
When the film revolves around Elle/Noah, we only see how much Elle wants Noah; we don’t actually learn about her beyond high school romance. Through meeting Marco, Elle’s able to confront and consider her motivations and desires more than ever before, and that’s important when your story is being told through the lens of a female protagonist.
Elle Evans is more than just Noah Flynn’s girlfriend. 
Photo Courtesy of Marcos Cruz/Netflix
The Kissing Booth 2 does little to help itself by juxtaposing Noah and Marco intensely throughout the film; Marco is continuously selfless, open, and supportive of Elle; while Noah and Elle struggle to communicate on even a basic level.
The entire narrative feels like it’s building towards a climactic moment of growth for Elle Evans — one where she’ll pick the guy who understands her (or she’ll pick no one at all!) and start speaking up for what she wants, on her own terms.
When absolutely none of that happens, and Elle finishes the movie back in Noah’s arms, still lost on the direction of her future thanks to the pressure both boys are still putting her under, you finish the film feeling like you’ve been duped somehow.
The Kissing Booth 2 asks you to sit through two hours of conflict just for nothing to change, and considering the journey Elle finds herself on throughout the movie, that is frankly a completely unacceptable way to end things.
If Noah and Elle are going to stay together, at least allow Elle– the main character — some growth and independence in the process. We see Noah and Elle fall for each other in the first film, we don’t need it again. We deserve a fresh new story for the sequel, not the same thing with slightly different complications.
It’s an outrageous missed opportunity, especially considering none of the movie’s subplots do anything to help matters, least of all Lee’s bizarre storyline with his overbearing girlfriend Rachel, who just can’t seem to get over his (admittingly co-dependent) friendship with Elle.
It feels as if the film wanted to pull the trigger on a budding Lee/Elle romance, but couldn’t quite get there, so they created the character of Marco instead. This pretty much leaves Lee with a half hazard, messy storyline that much like Elle’s, goes nowhere fast.
Neither does the romance between Ollie and Barry, two side characters who the film attempts to parallel with Elle and Noah, but ends up just making them feel like a queer storyline thrown in for representation credentials.
The Kissing Booth 2 deeply revels in its predecessor — in an attempt to stay true to their original world-building, callbacks and Easter eggs from the first film are carefully placed throughout the film.
Unfortunately, this only ends up backfiring, forcing the major characters all to stay in one place treading water, unable to grow or gain any type of complexity, and leaving the audience asking the question: what exactly was the point?
Luckily, The Kissing Booth franchise officially has one more chance to get it right, with the news of the third and final film debuting sometime in 2021.
The second film leaves things fairly open-ended, with Marco still looking interested in our girl Elle, even though things take a gigantic time jump from Halloween to graduation after the film’s climactic scene (this is frankly where we could have actually used a montage).
There’s also the issue of Elle’s college plans still up in the air, with her getting accepted to Harvard and Brown, but keeping that information to herself for the time being.
If I have it my way, Elle Evans won’t go to either school; she’ll take a year off and go backpacking across Europe with Marco, before heading to a third college of her choice, away from both Flynn boys.
It’s time to get off this merry go round and let Elle have her own type of adventure.
What did you think of The Kissing Booth 2? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Kissing Booth 2 is now available to stream on Netflix.
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Kat Pettibone
Kat Pettibone is an aspiring TV writer, artist, and poet. As a Pacey Witter Fan Club lifer who never missed a TGIF, she has dreams of becoming your generations small screen Nora Ephron. She's also an avid lover of coffee, dogs and all things spooky.