“To All the Boys: Always and Forever” closes out the trilogy with a story about endings, and it treats those endings with more weight than its predecessors did. The film, directed by Michael Fimognari and written by Katie Lovejoy, follows Lara Jean as she returns from Seoul and faces the question of college — with Peter or without him. It is a quiet, often sad story, and it earns its sadness.
Trailer, via Netflix.
Seoul and the Bridge
The film opens with Lara Jean and her family visiting Seoul, where she searches for a bridge her mother left a lock on to honor her love for Dan. Reading the message — “for the rest of my life” — sets the tone for everything that follows. This is a story about commitment, even when commitment is hard.
Peter’s Surprise
Peter remembers their first meeting well, which Lara Jean does not. She has never had a meet-cute with him, and she has never had a song. He starts brainstorming songs to make up for it, but the joke falls flat because the problem is real. She is waiting on Stanford, and Peter is waiting on her.
She is rejected by Stanford, and the film watches her face fall. The dream of her future with Peter vanishes in that moment. A wrongly sent text makes Peter believe she got in, and he shows up in full Stanford regalia, overjoyed. He interrupts her attempts to tell him the truth with a promposal, and the next day she gets an acceptance letter from Berkeley.
The Mix-Up
The next day, Lara Jean finally tells Peter about the mistake. He takes the news well, and the two remain confident they can make their relationship work since Berkeley is only an hour away from Stanford by car. It is a small comfort, but it is the one they have.
Berkeley and the Distance
The film spends its final stretch on the distance between them. Berkeley is close enough to drive, but it is still a distance that will change how they see each other. The movie does not pretend otherwise.
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Lara Jean | The protagonist, returning from Seoul and facing college |
| Peter | Her boyfriend, a popular lacrosse player |
| Kitty | Her younger sister, playful and close to Peter |
| Margot | Her older sister, mature and responsible |
| Trina Rothschild | The neighbor engaged to marry Dan |
| Christine | Lara Jean’s best friend, known as “Chris” |
The supporting cast fills out the world around Lara Jean, and the film leans on them to carry the weight of the family’s wedding plans. Kitty and Margot become bridesmaids, and the family moves forward with the wedding while Lara Jean processes what she has lost.
What Works and What Doesn’t
The film is at its best when it slows down and lets Lara Jean sit with her feelings. Her rejection from Stanford is real, and the film treats it as a loss rather than a setup for a happy ending. That honesty is rare in teen romances, and it lands.
The weakest moments come when the film tries to be funny. Some of the jokes about songs and meet-cutes feel forced, and they undercut the seriousness of the situation. The film is better when it stops trying to be light and simply lets the story breathe.
A Quiet Close
“To All the Boys: Always and Forever” is not the most exciting entry in the trilogy, but it is the most honest one. It ends the story of Lara Jean and Peter on a note of uncertainty, which feels earned after everything the film has put them through.
The film’s tagline, “You never know where love will lead you,” sums up the whole story. Love leads somewhere, but that somewhere is rarely where you planned to go.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
