The Kissing Booth (2018)
Starring: Joey King, Jacob Elordi, Joel Courtney
Director: Vince Marcello
Release Date: 11 May 2018
Rating: TV-14
Run Time: 1:45
Movie Type: Comedy, Romance
When Elle Evans (Joey King), a pretty, late-bloomer who’s never-been-kissed, decides to run a kissing booth at her high school’s Spring Carnival, she unexpectedly finds herself locking lips with her secret crush- the ultimate bad boy, Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi). Sparks fly, but there’s one little problem: Noah just happens to be the brother of her best friend, Lee, (Joel Courtney) and is absolutely off limits according to the rules of their friendship pact. Elle’s life is turned upside down when she realizes that she must ultimately make a choice: follow the rules or follow her heart. Based on Beth Reekle’s self-published coming-of-age novel that became an international sensation, THE KISSING BOOTH is a Netflix Film, written and directed by Vince Marcello.
I’m always all about the books to movies to when I heard this movie was coming out and it was based on the book by Beth Reekles, I was in. I haven’t been too disappointed in the stuff Netflix has been coming out with so I had high hopes that this movie was going to be decent.
This movie is about Elle Evans and her pact with her best friend Lee Flynn. Elle and Lee have been best friends for forever and they have rules that keep their friendship on track. One of those rules is that Lee’s older brother Noah is off limits. Noah is stupid hot and he’s a bit of a jackass so Elle hasn’t had trouble keeping that rule…until the start of junior year and things start to change between them. Elle struggles with her feelings for Noah and keeping it from Lee, but she can’t seem to help herself. Noah is a lot more than she was expecting and her connection to him is inescapable.
So over the course of the movie, Elle and Noah get closer and closer but Elle makes Noah keep their relationship a secret from everyone, including Lee. You know, just until she can tell Lee about them because he needs to hear about it from her. They’re best friends and this is something that can only come from her. Only, she never tells Lee and her secret becomes bigger and bigger until there’s no way out without hurting everyone.
I did enjoy the movie, for the most part, but I don’t know if it’s because I’m older and a Mom or whatever but I thought Lee and Elle were assholes to Noah. They treated Noah like he wasn’t a real person with real feelings and I hated that he suffered the most for something that Elle was just as much to blame, if not more since Noah wanted Elle to come clean from the start. That scene at the dance where Noah declares himself in front of everyone? I wanted to junk punch Lee for being a little shit since he had a girlfriend and didn’t like Elle that way so what did it matter that she fell in love with his brother? Their pact was a pact between children. Lee was an asshole for not being happy for them and I want to smack the shit out of Elle for bowing to Lee’s pressure.
Other than that, the movie has cute moments and funny moments but it’s a movie for a younger audience because a lot of the drama in this movie is so extra. I think I ruined Brenna’s movie experience because I kept complaining about what assholes everyone was…still, the movie itself was decent and I hated certain things but not the entire movie.
Movie Trailer
My Rating
3.25 out of 5