Teen RomCom Hit with Viewers

From Singapore's The Straits Times : Teen romcom panned by critics but a hit with viewers

The Kissing Booth, the 2018 teenage romantic comedy by Netflix, is a prime example of when critics and audiences vehemently disagree.

The film did not sit well with reviewers, whose aggregated critiques gave it an abysmal score of 17% on Rotten Tomatoes.

But it was a resounding success for the platform, which said it was one of its most-watched movies in the United States and the world that year.

And one in three viewers watched it a second time, which is 30% higher than Netflix’s average rewatch rate.

As they reprise their roles in the newly released The Kissing Booth 2, stars Joey King and Joel Courtney unpack the ingredients behind the first film’s success – and suggest it won viewers over because of a joyfulness and energy that harken back to classic 1980s romcoms.

And they think the sequel hits many of the same notes, which may explain why it is among Netflix’s top three titles in the United States – and top 10 in Singapore – this week.

In the original, based on The Kissing Booth books by Beth Reekles, the friendship between best pals Elle (King) and Lee (Courtney) is imperilled when Elle falls for highschool bad boy Noah (Jacob Elordi).

This is because Noah is Lee’s brother and off limits, according to the rules of Lee and Elle’s friendship pact.

In the sequel, it is Elle and Noah’s relationship in jeopardy as Noah jets off to Harvard and the couple try to make things work in a longdistance relationship.

Although critics took the movie to task for peddling romcom as well as sexist cliches, it is one of the few titles in the genre centred on a genuinely platonic friendship between a girl and a boy.

And in a recent Zoom interview, King and Courtney appear to be just as fond of each other as their characters, often stopping to tease and make each other laugh.

But unlike Lee and Elle, there are no hard and fast rules regarding their own platonic relationship, says Courtney, 24.

“Our friendship is one of a kind,” explains the actor, who appeared in the science-fiction film Super 8 (2011). “Honestly, we just laugh. Laughter is the main theme of our friendship. Whenever we hang out, that’s the most memorable thing.”

It was “pure elation and excitement” when the duo learnt they were teaming up again for the sequel, says King, 21.

“And a huge part of that was getting to work with Joel again. We just had so much fun on the first movie. Every time we get together, it’s just absolute chaos and ridiculousness and so much laughter.”

“We’ve spent a lot of time together, and you go through a lot of things work-wise and also personally. So being a support system for each other is something I’m really thankful for,” says the actress, who appeared in the horror film The Conjuring (2013).

As for the success of The Kissing Booth, King believes it was because “the energy was so bright and fun and really just undeniably happy, and I don’t think we’ve seen a romcom like that since the 1980s”.

“We pay homage to those wonderful 1980s romcoms that make our hearts spark with joy, and I think this movie really brought that back.”

Courtney thinks the unusual bond between their characters was another factor. “One of the things I’ve seen (people respond to) over and over again is the friendship between Elle and Lee.

“There’s a purity of joy and love between these two people who are kind of soul mates – not in any physical way, but they are each other’s other half. That was one of the biggest things that clicked for people with the movie.”

The sequel also throws up a few lessons on romance for younger viewers, King adds.

“In terms of love and relationships, one of my biggest takeaways is that while you always have to seek advice, there’s really no better way to learn than to make your own mistakes. That’s one of the biggest lessons for Elle, and also myself and most people,” she says.

“No matter what anybody else says, you have to pave your own way, feel all the feelings and break your own heart in order to learn lessons that need to be learnt.”