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There’s been a lot of focus on one particular subject throughout The Kissing Booth series: which guy will Elle choose?
Will she continue to date his sibling or stay faithful to her BFF? Will she try to straighten things out with her boyfriend or pursue a new romance with the beautiful new exchange student? How about university? Will Elle (Joey King) attend Berkeley to be near Lee (Joel Courtney) or Harvard to be near Noah (Jacob Elordi)?
This leads us to Netflix’s eagerly awaited Kissing Booth 3, in which Elle must finally chose which boy’s heart she will shatter this summer. I won’t give anything away about the big reveal, but I will say that the drama has increased tenfold. And lovers of Kissing Booth will enjoy a number of amusing and ridiculous moments in this rendition. But, in comparison to the first two films, how does it fare? Is it worth your time to watch?
For the record, I found the first two films to be somewhat disappointing. I didn’t appreciate how Elle’s entire existence focused around the boys in her life, and I was particularly irritated by how these films attempted to glamorise blatantly unhealthy relationships (don’t get get me started on Elle and Lee’s tight friendship rules). Despite my dissatisfaction with the series, a part of me anticipated that these flaws will be addressed/resolved in The Kissing Booth 3.
For those unfamiliar with the storey, Elle spends the summer putting off deciding which college she will attend. Instead, she concentrates on making the most of her final summer at home, collaborating with her best friend to accomplish a lengthy “Beach Bucket List” of exciting things.
I was initially irritated because I had slightly higher expectations for the film. Unfortunately, Elle begins by making many of the same errors. Noah is still envious and possessive. Lee still believes he is entitled to Elle’s time and undivided loyalty, and the list goes on. But, thankfully, things take a turn for the better when Lee’s mother assists Elle in realising that choosing between different guys was never the real issue. She finally realises that her selflessness and people-pleasing habits are holding her back after struggling to balance a summer job with catering to the needs of her best friend and boyfriend.
Meanwhile, Marco and Chloe are still in the picture, which adds to the tension and awkwardness. As Marco continues to pursue Elle, Chloe develops an even stronger bond with Noah, which, predictably, jeopardises Elle and Noah’s relationship. Elle also has a beef with her father’s new love interest, who appears to be attempting to replace her mother.
These small signs of development definitely elevate The Kissing Booth 3 above the first two films, which focused solely on Elle being torn between different guys, but I wouldn’t necessarily call this film a must-see. There are several things that don’t make sense (for example, how Lee’s parents can afford their luxurious beach house), and it has its fair share of overused tropes. Nonetheless, I have a feeling that long-time fans of the franchise will enjoy this one.
