'The Kissing Booth' In Order
If you’re looking for a cozy, teen rom-com TV or movie series, you need look no further than Netflix. The streamer has produced several enduring, sweet teen romances, including To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018) and My Life with the Walter Boys (2023). Arguably the most enduring of all is The Kissing Booth film series. The films not only topped Netflix charts upon release, but in 2018, The Kissing Booth also ranked as one of the streamer’s most rewatched titles.
The franchise has that lighthearted, romantic, nostalgic charm that makes it the perfect comfort movie to watch over and over. If you’re one of the many viewers revisiting The Kissing Booth, you can use our guide to find out how to watch the films in order.
The Kissing Booth is the first film in the trilogy and where the story begins. In the movie, Elle Evans (Joey King) begins a relationship with “bad boy” Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi). However, Elle’s close friendship with Noah’s younger brother, Lee (Joel Courtney), complicates their relationship. The Kissing Booth is a great watch for anyone who loves a good teen romance. It blends drama, romance, and humor while poignantly capturing young love and friendship.
If you enjoy movies like 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) or Prom (2020), you’ll especially enjoy The Kissing Booth. Like 10 Things I Hate About You and Prom, The Kissing Booth explores first love and the cliché but irresistible “good girl” and “bad boy” matchmaking. It may also resonate with high school juniors and seniors who are contemplating college and relationship decisions.
The Kissing Booth 2 is the second installment in The Kissing Booth trilogy and serves as a direct sequel to the 2018 movie. It picks up where The Kissing Booth left off, following Elle through her senior year as she struggles to make her long-distance relationship with Noah work while juggling the major decisions that come with transitioning to adulthood. The nice thing about The Kissing Booth movies is that they grow alongside the characters. As the characters age, the movies gradually tackle more mature themes and ideas.
The Kissing Booth 2 is still a teen drama, but it moves beyond the idealized beginning of the relationship to the difficulty of maintaining it as jealousy and distrust creep in. Of all the movies, The Kissing Booth 2 is most reminiscent of the After (2019) film series because of the intensity of the relationships and the themes of toxicity and jealousy. Ultimately, it’s a great watch if you’re looking for similar themes to the After movies, but with a little more humor and lightheartedness.
The Kissing Booth 3 is the third and final film in The Kissing Booth series. It concludes Elle’s high school journey as she’s forced to choose between Harvard and Berkeley, all while deciding whether to continue her relationship with Noah. The Kissing Booth 3 is a satisfying conclusion to the series, bringing its themes of young love, friendship, and the transition to adulthood full circle as the characters move into the next chapter of their lives.
While The Kissing Booth and To All the Boys movies parallel each other in many ways, I feel The Kissing Booth 3 is most tonally and thematically similar to To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021). Both films center on college decisions but also give the protagonists more power, emphasizing the importance of choosing what’s best for them, not just their relationship. Instead of feeling like an ending, the film leaves you with a refreshing feeling of a new beginning.
