The Kissing Booth (2018)
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A girl's budding romance with her best friend's brother puts their lifelong bond in jeopardy.
The story
In Los Angeles, Elle Evans and Lee Flynn have been best friends since birth. When Elle develops a secret crush on Lee's popular older brother, Noah, she keeps it hidden. However, during their junior year of high school, a series of events leads to the creation of a kissing booth as a school fundraiser. Elle's involvement with the booth and her growing feelings for Noah create a complicated dynamic, as Noah has warned others not to pursue her. The situation becomes complicated when the truth of their connection begins to surface, threatening the stable foundation of Elle and Lee's lifelong friendship.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Elle and Lee are inseparable best friends until Elle falls for Lee's brother, Noah. After a series of mishaps involving a school fundraiser kissing booth, Elle and Noah end up sharing a kiss in front of their peers. They begin a secret relationship, establishing rules to keep it from Lee. However, the secret is exposed when Lee catches them together, leading to a falling out. After a period of tension, the two friends reconcile. At the prom, Noah publicly declares his love for Elle. The next day, at a costume party, Elle confesses her love for Noah to Lee, who helps her find him. She finds him in a Batman costume, and they spend their final weeks together before he leaves for Harvard. Elle remains unsure of their future but knows her heart belongs to him.
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 105
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Vince Marcello
- Writers
- Vince Marcello · writer
- Cast and characters
- Joey King · Elle Evans; Joel Courtney · Lee Flynn; Jacob Elordi · Noah Flynn; Meganne Young · Rachel; Stephen Jennings · Mike Evans; Chloe Williams · Joni Evans; Carson White · Brad Evans; Molly Ringwald · Sara Flynn
- Genres
- romantic comedy; teen; comedy; coming-of-age
- Themes
- friendship; romance; coming-of-age; loyalty
- Tone and mood
- romantic; lighthearted
- Setting
- Los Angeles during high school.
- Premise and plot tags
- high school; forbidden romance; best friends to lovers
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2012 novel of the same name by Beth Reekles
- Franchise connections
- The Kissing Booth
- Reception
- The film was a commercial success on Netflix but was largely panned by critics for its clichéd storyline and themes.
- Production trivia
- The film was a significant success for Netflix, with one in three viewers re-watching it.; The film was based on a novel originally published on Wattpad.; The film was shot in both Los Angeles, California, and Cape Town, South Africa.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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