In 2018 the movie adaptation of a popular book series written by Jenny Han was released. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. Following its release on Netflix, teens everywhere fell in love with the film. The movie itself followed a girl named Lara Jean Covey who wrote letters to everyone she had loved across her lifetime. These letters, obviously, got sent out. One of the guys, Peter Kavinsky, goes to confront her, but while this is happening her sister’s boyfriend and one of the letter recipients, Josh, also finds her. To avoid her sister’s boyfriend, Lara kisses Peter. Following this, Peter and Lara proceed to a fake date. Peter, in the hopes of making his ex-girlfriend jealous, and Lara, in order to avoid Josh. Throughout the movie, Peter and Lara pretend to date and slowly without realizing, their feelings start to become real. 

The heartwarming romance and awkward but relatable main character led teens everywhere to become obsessed with the film. Earning a 96% on the Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer, the film itself was seen as a success. The film proceeded to have two other installments, and even a tv series spinoff about Lara Jean’s sister. But despite the movie’s overall success and enthusiasm from fans, it seems as though the film has been forgotten. 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was many Gen Z teens’ introduction into the rom-com genre, but this is not the case for the newer generation. There are always new movies, bigger and better, coming out in the film industry, and what was relevant to Gen Z when they were growing up, is not necessarily the case now. While many kids today might know of the movie, it has not had the same cultural impact as it did when it came out. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before might not be as relevant today as it once was, but many aspects of the film can be seen in a more recent book adaptation by Jenny Han. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before set the stage for The Summer I Turned Pretty which many might not even realize is by the same author. 

The Summer I Turned Pretty shares many of the same plot points as To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. Both adaptations share the love triangle, the heartwarming family aspect, and the character relatability, but they were created in two very different eras. Maybe the reason To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’s relevance has faded is because it reflects too many aspects of society that have been left behind. The design elements used in the film are very clearly from the 2016-2018 era, many of which are not prevalent today. Take the costumes for example. Lara Jean dresses in a primarily preppy style featuring pink cardigans, pleated skirts, bright colored tights and button up shirts. She’s often seen throughout the film wearing bold stripes, floral dresses and combat boots. While none of these pieces are objectively bad, they are not the elements that make up a typical high schoolers wardrobe in today’s society. The amount of love the film got from its audience does not matter if it is not able to stand the test of time.