Vince Marcello directed “The Kissing Booth 2,” a sequel to the first installment of the movie released in 2018, which is a romantic comedy set in the United States released in 2020. The multifaceted life of Elle Evans, played by Joey King, is put under scrutiny throughout the course of her senior year as she deals with a new strong friendship with Marco Peña which introduces her to new challenges alongside an existing long-distance relationship with highly popular Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi) and applying to colleges.
Plot Overview
As the final year of high school commences for Elle, she is confronted with a number of hurdles, especially because Noah who is currently attending Harvard has become more distant. Their time apart fosters feelings of self-doubt especially after seeing Noah getting close to a college girl, Chloe (Maisie Richardson-Sellers). At the same time, Elle and her best friend Lee Flynn (Joel Courtney) are charged with the task of organizing the “kissing booth” yet again for the school fair competition and this time aim at the new Marco, who is unusually open to the idea. The bond built between Elle and Marco causes yet more strife to her relationship with Noah. She would have to also grapple with the dilemma of whether attending Harvard with Noah versus fulfilling his long-term promise of attending the University of California, which is in Berkeley with Lee.
Cast and Characters
Joey King as Elle Evans. A passionate and resolute high school senior grappling with critical life choices.
Jacob Elordi as Noah Flynn. Elle’s boyfriend, who is now experiencing college life at Harvard.
Joel Courtney as Lee Flynn. Elle’s bestfriend and someone she has known all her life and shares a close relationship with.
Taylor Zakhar Perez as Marco Peña. An athletic and handsome newcomer who forms a close bond with Elle.
Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Chloe Winthrop. A sophisticated friend of Noah and college mate, who makes Elle rethink the nature of his relationship with her.
Molly Ringwald as Mrs. Flynn. The nurturing mother of Noah and Lee.
Post-Production and Release
Filming for the second edition of the Kissing Booth series, dubbed “The Kissing Booth 2,” was completed in August 2019. The film saw an August 11, 2021, premiered on Netlix as second most streamed film of the week, with over 66 million views globally in its first month of release.
Critical Reception
The film turned out to be a controversial topic, as it received both very negative reviews as well as people that adored the film. Although according to Rotten Tomatoes, the film still managed to evade the preference of its users sitting at just 27%. It’s not clear if that’s how it was designed, but most critics believe that instead of only Joely King’s acting, he was a stand-alone talented actor who made Kissing Booth 2 look at least watchable. Following the release of the sequels big success, “The Kissing Booth 3” also managed to please many people and was released on August 11,2021.
Themes
In Kissing Booth 2, young love, trust, and the desire to keep relationships alive while experiencing different stages in life are the very real challenges that many many face. With the Kissing Booth 2 emphasizing the notion of communication and the hurdles of long distance relationships, as well as self realization at a coming of age moment.
For the audience who prefer light watching in the form of adolescent romances, “The Kissing Booth 2” does wonders by depicting the life of Elle Evans post’s pivotal life changes.