The Kissing Booth – Film Review

Hello all! I’m very late to The Kissing Booth series but after seeing it float round Twitter the other week due to the second in the series being released, I thought it was time to give them a watch. I’ve been meaning to read the book series for quite a while now but that I’m on a book buying ban I thought I’d just watch the films instead and decide if I’d still like to give the books a go. I wanted to share my thoughts on The Kissing Booth both 1 and 2, so, here is a little review!

This film is adapted from the YA novel of the same name by Beth Reekles. It is certainly aimed at the younger end of teenagers and feels as though it would be loved by 14 to 15-year olds. I will say straight away that for that reason amongst others I was quite disappointed in both films in the series. Although the first one seems more thought out in my opinion and the second film felt rushed and unorganised. I have to say though I did enjoy putting them both on the TV and being able to zone out with a film for a while without having to concentrate much.

When Elle’s first kiss leads to a forbidden romance with the hottest boy in school, who also happens to be her best friend’s brother. She put everything at risk including her entire friendship with her childhood best friend Lee.

I didn’t really know what to expect going into this film. I had heard a lot about it via Twitter and had also read the synopsis of the book but I never truly looked into the film, reviews or how good of an adaptation it is. I did enjoy this film because it let me zone out for while and just lose myself in a film. It solidified for me that I don’t need to read the books, my TBR is long enough and watching the film series satisfied the need to consume this story.

I enjoyed the first film a whole lot more than I enjoyed the second film. The first film had a believable storyline and the chemistry between the characters felt real. The second film however felt rushed, unorganised and the chemistry we saw in the first film seemed to have vanished. I know that the actors that play Noah and Elle were together outside of the film universe but split before the filming of the second film. Sadly, you can see the chemistry between them when acting has changed and sadly it made me enjoy the second film a lot less.

I have varied opinions on the acting in this film. I enjoyed Joey King and her portrayal of Elle Evans. She plays a teenager girl experiencing her first relationship very well. Jacob Elordi and his portrayal of Noah Flynn on the other hand I wasn’t at all a fan of. He is your typical bad-guy who everyone wants and he doesn’t really act it all that well. Jacob doesn’t seem to put much effort into the acting and it shows. My favourite character was definitely Lee Flynn. He is sweet, cute and just well-rounded character and on top of that Joel Courtney plays him excellently.

Overall, I didn’t love but also didn’t hate The Kissing Booth film adaptation. I don’t have any need to watch it again. But, I do love that YA books are getting more opportunities to be adapted into films and I cannot wait to see more in the future. If you are looking for a film to put on and not have to put a lot of concentration into, then this is the one for you! It is the perfect escapism film!