- 1Movie Overview
- 2Direction & Cinematography
- 3Cast & Performances
- 4Character Psychology
- 5Themes & Emotional Depth
- 6Memorable Scenes & Dialogue
- 7The Ending — Does It Deliver?
- 8What Works
- 9Honest Criticism
- 10How It Compares
- 11Legacy & Cultural Impact
- 12Behind the Scenes
- 13Who Should Watch It?
- 14Final Verdict
- Genre: Romance, Comedy
- Director: Vince Marcello
- Year: 2018
- Runtime: 1h 45m
- Language: English (EN)
- TMDB Rating: ⭐ 7.2/10
Movie Overview
Elle Evans and Lee Flynn have been best friends since childhood, bound by a list of rules they created as kids. Their friendship seems unbreakable — until Elle's first-ever kiss at their school's kissing booth fundraiser lands her in a secret romance with Lee's older brother Noah, the school's resident bad boy. What starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into a full-blown forbidden relationship that threatens to destroy Elle's bond with Lee. The film follows Elle as she tries to balance her growing feelings for Noah with her loyalty to Lee, all while navigating typical high school drama. The tension peaks when Lee discovers their secret, forcing Elle to choose between her heart and her oldest friendship. That final confrontation in the rain is where the film finally finds its emotional footing.
Direction & Cinematography
Vince Marcello directs with a light touch, leaning hard into the glossy, candy-colored aesthetic that defines so many Netflix teen romances. The kissing booth scene itself is staged with surprising tension — the camera lingers on Elle's nervous hands fidgeting with her skirt before the big moment. But the pacing stumbles in the middle section, spending too much time on forgettable side characters when it should be deepening the central love triangle. What struck me on rewatch is how the film visually contrasts Elle's two worlds: her chaotic home life with Lee's family versus the quiet intimacy of her scenes with Noah. The direction isn't groundbreaking, but it serves the material well enough.
Cast & Performances
Joey King carries the film as Elle, bringing genuine comic timing to the role — watch how she physically recoils when first approached at the kissing booth. Jacob Elordi's Noah works best when he's allowed to be more than just a brooding archetype; his quiet smile during the diner scene shows what the performance could have been with better material. Joel Courtney's Lee feels underdeveloped, though he nails the hurt in the third-act confrontation. Molly Ringwald is criminally underused as Elle's mom — she gets exactly one meaningful scene.
Character Psychology
Elle wants the perfect high school experience — popularity, romance, and her best friend by her side. What she needs is to realize she can't control how people react to her choices. The film's most honest moment comes when she admits she kept the relationship secret because she was scared to lose Lee, not just because of their childhood rules. Noah's arc is less convincing — he's more fantasy than person for most of the runtime.
Themes & Emotional Depth
Beneath the glitter, this is about the painful transition when childhood friendships collide with first love. The film's smartest choice is having Elle break her own rules — literally the ones she created with Lee — showing how arbitrary childhood pacts become in adolescence. That moment when Lee finds the torn rules list in Elle's room carries more weight than any of the romantic scenes.
Memorable Scenes & Dialogue
The carnival kiss works because King and Elordi sell the awkwardness — Elle's nervous giggle right before feels completely authentic. The hallway fight between Noah and Lee stands out for its staging: the camera stays tight on Elle's horrified face as the brothers brawl around her. Less successful is the over-the-top food fight scene, which plays like a rejected Disney Channel gag.
The Ending — Does It Deliver?
The emotional payoff mostly works because King and Courtney make the friendship fracture feel real. I'll admit I didn't expect the film to actually let Lee be angry for more than one scene. That said, the reconciliation happens too quickly — the final beach scene is sweet but unearned. What stayed with me was Elle's quiet realization that some choices can't be undone, even with happy endings.
What Works
King's performance gives the film its energy — her comic timing during the kissing booth scene makes what could be cringe-worthy material actually charming. The friendship between Elle and Lee feels authentic in its messy affection. The production design nails the wish-fulfillment fantasy of Southern California high school life without feeling (too) artificial.
Honest Criticism
The adult characters are afterthoughts, especially Elle's parents who disappear for huge chunks of runtime. Noah's character development relies too heavily on Elordi's looks rather than substantive writing. The subplot about Elle's academic struggles goes nowhere and should have been cut entirely.
How It Compares
Compared to To All the Boys I've Loved Before (also 2018), The Kissing Booth lacks that film's visual wit and deeper character work. But it beats something like The Perfect Date (2019) by having actual stakes in its central relationship. Where it falls short is in failing to develop Noah beyond his 'bad boy with a heart of gold' trope — something films like 10 Things I Hate About You managed decades earlier.
Legacy & Cultural Impact
Despite mixed reviews (it holds a 17% critic score but 70% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes), the film was a massive streaming hit for Netflix, spawning two sequels. It helped cement Joey King as a rising star and launched Jacob Elordi's career. The film's success proved there was still an appetite for straightforward teen romances in the streaming era.
Behind the Scenes
Joey King and Joel Courtney had previously worked together on 2016's Independence Day: Resurgence. The kissing booth scene was filmed in one continuous take after 12 attempts. Netflix greenlit the sequels before the first film even premiered, based solely on test audience reactions.
Who Should Watch It?
Teen viewers looking for undemanding romantic escapism will find exactly what they want here. Anyone seeking nuanced characters or fresh takes on the genre should look elsewhere — this is comfort food cinema at its most predictable.
Final Verdict
The Kissing Booth won't win points for originality, but it delivers exactly what it promises: a glossy, low-stakes teen romance with just enough heart to make the formula work. I'm giving it a 6.2 for King's star-making performance and the genuine warmth between the central trio. Watch it when you want something sweet that doesn't require much emotional investment.
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