Susan Johnson’s 2018 Netflix film, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”, which is based of the book by Jenny Han, follows average high school teen, Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor.). Throughout Covey’s life, she wrote letters to the boys she has loved, without the intention of them being read, so when her younger sister finds the secret letters and mails them out, her life becomes more than average, as she has to deal with the backlash and awkwardness from the boys she secretly loved. Devising a plan with one of the recipients, Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centieno), who is considered popular at Covey’s school, the pair plans to fake a relationship in order to steal the spotlight from the letters that were sent, as well as trying to make Kavinsky’s ex-girlfriend jealous.

This movie has taken social media by storm; many have fallen in love with the story and its characters, as countless fan accounts and blog posts have been inspired by this film. People now dream about relationships like those featured in the movie. Since this film was portrayed in a realistic way, many people want a love story like the one between Covey and Kavinsky, as it felt like something that could happen in real life. The cliche trope of the outcast falling in love with the jock has been used many times, but “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” portrayed it in a unique and fresh way.

Overall, the film did not have a thoroughly developed plot, and there were gaps in the way scenes progressed. It was evident that the film writers took every event into account, and the actual dialogue fit the characters, but major events were missing from this movie in order to follow a proper storyline progression. Lack of attention to plot was shown in the fact that only two out of the five boys who received letters are featured, and the others were hardly mentioned. However, in addition to the gaps, there were some major scenes vital to the plot that were in the novel, which the filmmakers should have included to close any holes, like scenes that furthered the development of Covey’s and Kavinsky’s relationship.

This film was casted well, and very diversely at that. Centineo and Condor were great at portraying their characters, and the same goes for the supporting and ensemble roles. The costuming for this film was accurate and realistic in relation to the plot. It would not be weird to see high schoolers in the clothing that was worn during this film, which makes the setting easy to connect to.

With the film’s bright and romantic vibe, the cinematographer, Michael Fimognari, presented cool toned colors throughout his work, contrasting to the mood of the plot. In the past Fimognari has done work on many horror films, which is evident in his product with this film. Lighting scenes with low light and dark colors works for a horror film, but not a modern romance film that should be lit with bright and light colors.

Looking at this film with its embellishments of cliches and dreams, it was entertaining. That said, looking at it technically, things did not add up properly to create a sustainable final product that actually delivered a story. Technically speaking, I would not write a love letter to this movie.