The Kissing Booth

Back in 2018, Netflix took a chance on a teen romance adapted from a Wattpad story written by a 15-year-old. The result was The Kissing Booth, a film that divided critics and delighted audiences in equal measure. Directed by Vince Marcello, the movie follows Elle Evans (Joey King), a high school junior whose carefully ordered life gets turned upside down after a single kiss at a school carnival fundraiser. That kiss is with Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi), the older brother of her best friend Lee (Joel Courtney) and the school's resident bad boy. Things get complicated fast, because Elle and Lee have a sacred set of friendship rules, and the most important one is this: family and friends are strictly off-limits for dating.

The film was shot in just 28 days, mostly at Venice High School in Los Angeles, with additional work done in Cape Town. Molly Ringwald was brought in to play the Flynn matriarch, a deliberate nod to the 80s teen classics that inspired the movie's aesthetic. With a budget estimated between three and five million dollars, the production relied on a tight schedule and some resourcefulness, actors often wore their own clothes, and the carnival scenes were filmed in a single day. Despite the constraints, the movie became a massive hit for Netflix, drawing over 56 million households in its first month and launching a franchise that would include two sequels.

The film's legacy is a curious one. Critics panned it for its clichés and problematic dynamics, but audiences, especially young women, embraced it as comforting, nostalgic escapism. It launched the careers of its three leads: Joey King went on to earn an Emmy nomination for The Act, Jacob Elordi became a star on Euphoria, and Joel Courtney continued in film and TV. The movie also proved that streaming platforms could create franchise-level hits without theatrical releases, paving the way for other Wattpad adaptations like After and The Perfect Date.[edit]

Elle Evans is a quirky, upbeat junior at a Los Angeles high school. Her best friend since childhood is Lee Flynn, and together they've built their friendship on a set of ironclad rules. The most important rule: no dating each other's family members. Elle lives with her single dad Mike and her younger brother Brad, while Lee's family includes his older brother Noah, a brooding senior with a reputation as the school's resident heartthrob and womanizer. Elle and Noah have always had a teasing, antagonistic relationship, she finds him arrogant, and he enjoys getting under her skin.

When the school's spring carnival approaches, Elle and Lee decide to run a kissing booth as a fundraiser. Elle is the main attraction, tasked with kissing strangers for charity. On the day of the carnival, Noah unexpectedly shows up and volunteers to be her first kiss. The kiss is electric, catching both of them off guard. Despite years of mutual dislike, something shifts. They begin a secret relationship, meeting in hidden spots and sneaking around to keep it from Lee. Elle is torn between her growing feelings for Noah and her loyalty to Lee, who remains oblivious.

Their romance is complicated by Noah's upcoming departure for Harvard in the fall. He shows a softer side, defending Elle from bullies, taking her on motorcycle rides, revealing a protective nature. But his jealousy and Elle's insecurities create tension. Meanwhile, Elle navigates high school life: dealing with popular girls who mock her, figuring out her future plans, and trying to keep her relationship hidden. Lee starts to suspect something is off, and the foundation of lies begins to crack.

The story builds toward a major confrontation. Elle and Noah's relationship deepens, but the secret weighs heavily. Lee's suspicions grow, and Elle must decide how much she's willing to risk for love. The film sets up a classic conflict, not a love triangle between two boys, but a battle between a girl, her boyfriend, and her best friend. The rules that once held everything together now threaten to tear it all apart.[edit]