To All the Boys: Always and Forever Parent Guide

It’s senior year for Lara Jean (Lana Candor) and Peter (Noah Centineo), which means college applications, senior trip, and prom. The couple are planning to attend Stanford together, but their plan falls apart when Lara Jean’s application gets rejected. Navigating the possibility of a long-distance relationship, the pair do their best to enjoy their last year of high school before stepping into the unknowns of adulthood.

I actually enjoyed the first installment in this series, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which is saying a lot because I usually cannot stand teen romance flicks. I missed out on the sequel, but my memories of the first one gave me enough context to get right into the third movie. The theme of the film, the uncertainty of leaving high school and all the hard choices that come with that, is highly relatable and well done. The story perfectly captures the anxiety around making huge decisions about college, relationships, and leaving home. I think that teens entering this stage of life, or young adults who have recently left it, will find a lot to relate to and learn from. There’s also a side plot about Peter’s estranged father trying to reconnect with him, which is emotional and well told while not veering into saccharine after-school special territory. The two plots make a neat parallel with the overarching message that if you love someone you will do whatever it takes to be there for them.

Look, it’s a teen romance story. There’s going to be cheesy antics and cringy moments; that just comes with the territory. If you’re prepared for that, Always and Forever is a well-made, well-acted, and relatable movie with heart. Peter is a little too perfect as a boyfriend, which makes him feel slightly more than human, but I assume that’s done on purpose to keep up the romance fantasy.

As far as content concerns go, this film is relatively clean in most aspects. The sexual content is not the focus, but it is there, and whether that is a deal breaker for you or not is going to be a personal decision. There is a single scene of non-explicit sex involving mature teens. Consent is clear and the young people are in a stable relationship, but contraception is never discussed. The storyline also features a strong implication that teens need to lose their virginity before leaving for college. If you’re unhappy about this message, this can be one of those turning-lemons-into-lemonade media moments if it becomes a catalyst for talking about sexual ethics with your teenager. That all said, I don’t recommend this film for kids or tweens, but I think that older teens will find a lot to relate to, and adults just might too.