After the Netflix original To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before came out in 2018, audiences fell in love with Lara Jean and Peter Kavensky. The gradual love story between Peter and Lara Jean was well paced and heartwarming. All qualities P.S. I Still Love You fell short on. The second installment of the trilogy felt less like the characters the audience has come to know and love. New characters and new troubles jeopardize Lara Jean and Peter’s picture-perfect relationship, and the two must work to overcome these issues.
P.S. I Still Love You shifts the mood of the story from falling in love to staying in love. Lara Jean and Peter, along with the audience, find that their relationship is much harder to maintain than previously expected. When John Ambrose, another recipient of Lara Jean’s love letters, shows up in her life again, things start to get very complicated. Peter’s strangely close relationship with his ex and Lara Jean’s unexpected attraction to her childhood crush put major strain on their relationship. Not to mention, Lara Jean finds herself suddenly uncomfortable being Peter’s actual girlfriend.
One of my major complaints about P.S. I Still Love You is the alarming character changes in some of the best characters. Peter Kavinsky is introduced as a sweet and caring boyfriend and friend to Lara Jean in the first installment of the trilogy. But, Peter comes off as much more arrogant and inconsiderate in this film. The movie also offers no real closure between Peter and Lara Jean. Their problems feel unresolved despite the movie ending.
The highlight of P.S. I Still Love You is the introduction of John Ambrose McClaren. Played by Jordan Fisher, John Ambrose is one of Lara Jean’s first childhood crushes. After Lara Jean’s five love letters get sent out by her little sister Kitty, the audience only sees the fallout of Josh Sanderson and Peter’s letters. However, John Ambrose’s letter has a major effect as well. John Ambrose is sweet and kind to Lara Jean throughout the course of the film, he seems too good to be true. His character is a refreshing break from Lara Jeana and Peter’s major relationship issues.
