Film Review: "To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You" (2020).

"First Love. Last Letter." This is To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You. This teen romantic comedy film directed by Michael Fimognari, adapted by Sofia Alvarez and J. Mills Goodloe, and based on Jenny Han's 2015 novel P.S. I Still Love You. It is a sequel to To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018), and the second installment in the To All the Boys I've Loved Before film series. Lara Jean is officially Peter’s girlfriend, so everything should be perfect, right? But feelings grow complicated when an old crush reenters her life.

In August 2018, Han said that a sequel to To All the Boys I've Loved Before would adapt the second book in the series, P.S. I Still Love You. In November, it was reported that Netflix and Paramount Pictures' Awesomeness Films were in discussions to produce a sequel. In December, Netflix announced the development of a sequel. In March 2019, it was reported that Fimognari, cinematographer on the first film, would make his feature film directorial debut with the sequel, taking over from the original film's director Susan Johnson, who would stay on to executive produce. By late March 2019, Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Anna Cathcart, Janel Parrish, Madeleine Arthur, Emilija Baranac and John Corbett were confirmed to reprise their roles with Jordan Fisher, Ross Butler, Holland Taylor and Sarayu Blue were cast as newcomers. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in early May. Filming took place in Vancouver, British Columbia. The film was shot back-to-back with the third film in the trilogy.

The film stars Condor, Centineo, Fisher, Cathcart, Parrish, Butler, Arthur, Baranac, Taylor, Blue and Corbett. The loveable character Condor has crafted is so dynamic and funny she's able to hold the sequel together. Condor once again manages to exude both grace and gravity while baring a self-doubting crisis about the love of her life. It's testament to Condor's likeability and skill that the film is still enjoyable, but it lacks the element of surprise. The best thing about the film was the chemistry between Condor and Centino. The same can be said for the sequel. Although, Condor and Centineo seem a bit less confident in their respective encores; perhaps they sense that they're repeating themselves.

It's a pleasing enough romp, and if you're starved for romantic comedy (where have they all gone?) this will ease your hunger pangs. The film should satisfy fans because of Condor's uninhibited performance, but hardly anybody is going to be demanding a third helping. That this new film isn't quite so adorable as the first hardly matters, Lara Jean-wise, as the whole point of both movies is to allow everyone to revel in Comdor's adorable performance. There are some true moments of revelation, but they're neither substantial enough nor inspired enough to touch the original. It goes for many more cheap laughs than its predecessor, but it gets them pretty consistently and a few instances result in big, hearty belly laughs.

Simon says To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You receives:

Also, see my review for To All the Boys I've Loved Before.