Netflix’s The Kissing Booth 3 Review: Sweet and Simple But Forgettable

The Kissing Booth 3 premiered on Netflix on 11th August 2021, almost a year after the second instalment, which became one of Netflix’s most-watched titles of the summer. Directed by Vince Marcello, the film stars Joey King, Joel Courtney, Taylor Perez, Meganne Young, Jacob Elordi, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, and Molly Ringwald alongside other cast members.

Teenagers!

– The Kissing Booth 3 review contains minor spoilers ahead –

Based on The Kissing Booth books by Beth Reekles, The Kissing Booth 3 finally made its way to viewers today. In the third and final instalment in The Kissing Booth universe, the film revisits the love triangle between Elle, Noah, and Marco as they spend one last summer together before heading off to their respective universities. But the film does not make this triangle the central theme, it is more about Elle and her journey of finding herself and realizing that she needs to be her own priority and not just Noah and Lee’s happiness.

The film has all the typical teen moments ranging from teen angst to emotional turmoil to friendships and parties etc. But between all this, the third instalment fails viewers at various points. If you have been following the trilogy you’ll know how the initial two instalments garnered viewers and fandom, needless to say, fans waited for the third film but the ending for the characters seems abrupt and bland therefore confusing and lowkey disappointing.

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The group repeats the same scuffles with startling, exhausting regularity. At one point, there’s a large-scale go-kart race meant to mimic the famous video game “Mario Kart” brought to life, supposedly to break the monotony of it all. While Elordi is reduced to looking outrageous and Courtney is burdened with some serious crying jags, King continues to breathe life into Elle, even when she is making absurd, immature choices. because well, hormones and teen age! Nothing feels genuine or vital this time.

Even when the makers decided to bring back Marco in the story it doesn’t lead up to anything substantial, as if it was added in the script only because it worked out in the second instalment. Moreover, a life event as big as Elle and Noah’s breakup feels half-baked and emotionless and as an Elle and Noah stan, it’s disappointing.

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Straying away from all these weaknesses, The Kissing Booth 3 has some good moments too, though less in number they do exist. Like the flash mob sequence, the bucket list completion, and more.

Summing up, in an overview The Kissing Booth 3 is a sweet and simple film but it is not better than the initial 2 films and is easily forgettable. Elle, Noah, Lee deserved better and a more defined ending rather than a vague figure it out yourself ending.

Stream It or Skip It

Very rarely it happens that a film leaves me conflicted on whether I would ask readers to stream it or skip it and The Kissing Booth 3 does the same but not for the right reasons. If you have been following the franchise then definitely stream the third instalment not because it’s the best but because the entire fandom has waited long enough. However, if you’re new (rare case!) then forget about the third instalment and stream the first two as any which way the film offers no clear answer to the cliffhanger it ends on in the second film.

The Kissing Booth 3 is streaming now on Netflix.

Also Read: Netflix’s The Kissing Booth 2 Review: The Kiss Of True Love?