TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE
A heartwarming teen romance with objectionable content; adults should decide carefully.
Should You Watch It?
This is a polished, appealing romantic comedy with characters you can care about. Lara Jean’s secret letters create an engaging setup, while her growing relationship with Peter explores relatable emotions, friendship, loyalty, family, and loss. The film also presents a strong family unit and a father who offers good guidance.
The cost is substantial for families. The teenage characters’ choices are not a good example for young people to follow, and the story often lets emotion guide behavior. The film also contains a significant, unnecessary amount of foul language, underage drinking at a party, and other content detailed below.
If you are a discerning adult who can navigate those concerns, this is worth watching for its warmth and appealing characters. For children and young teens, choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESLara Jean writes secret love letters to five boys she has loved, but she never intends to send them. Then her younger sister mails the letters by accident.
One recipient is Peter, a popular boy whose relationship with his ex-girlfriend has ended. Peter and Lara Jean agree to fake a relationship to make his ex jealous, but spending time together begins to complicate their carefully arranged plan.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is an especially entertaining film. It is fun, heartwarming, and lovable, with appealing characters who draw viewers into Lara Jean and Peter’s romantic complications.
The story explores relatable topics, including family relationships, friendship, loyalty, grief, and falling in love. Lara Jean and Peter are written in a way that encourages viewers to identify with them and empathize with their experiences.
The Worldview
The film presents a light mixed pagan worldview alongside romantic and moral elements. Its strongest ideas concern family, friendship, loyalty, and the people we love. A strong family unit is extolled, especially through Lara Jean’s father, who lost his wife and continues raising his family. The film also values friendship and standing up for friends.
At the same time, the characters often navigate relationships according to their emotions, and their romantic situation is not a good example for young people to follow. The worldview analysis also notes politically correct elements, including homosexual content and feminist imagery. These elements, together with the film’s romantic focus, make discernment necessary.
The film’s emphasis on love, family, and loyalty points toward biblical questions about how we treat others. Scripture says, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast” (1 Corinthians 13:4).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Light mixed pagan worldview with Romantic and moral elements about a teenage girl dealing with five secret childhood love letters that were mailed accidentally, girl navigates the dating world for the first time and fake dates a boy to make his ex-girlfriend jealous, but he unintentionally falls for the girl, a strong family unit is extolled with a strong father figure who lost his wife and is raising his family, friendship and sticking up for friends, and people you love are extolled, plus some politically correct elements including homosexual content where a boy talks about how he is “gay”, and feminist content as a young girl wears a necklace with the word “Feminist” on it
Foul Language
13 obscenities and 10 light profanities (mostly OMG)
Violence
Light comic violence when girl gets hit in the face with a pillow, there’s a playful pillow fight, girl goes out her window and accidently falls off the roof but isn’t hurt, one person almost hits another person with their car, sisters chase each other around a room in a fight, but no one is hurt, and the fight isn’t very serious
Sex
Couple makes out while girl sits on the guy’s lap, but nothing further is implied or depicted, boy has his hand in girl’s back pocket, a group of middle schoolers play spin the bottle, and boy kisses girl on the mouth, six instances of kissing (some couples were dating, but some not)
Nudity
Upper male nudity when boy is in hot tub
Alcohol Use
Father drinks casually at dinner twice, and underage teenage drinking at a party
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
No smoking or drugs;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Jealousy, lying, rudeness, name calling, main character and her homosexual friend are seen in the same hotel room, but it is unclear if they actually sleep there, and a character takes a video of a couple making out and sends it to people and calling the video a sex tape even though it really isn’t.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Lara Jean writes letters to express feelings she cannot say aloud. When is honest communication difficult, and how can love remain patient and kind?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · Ephesians 4:15The film shows a strong family unit and a father guiding his children. What makes family guidance wise, loving, and trustworthy?
Ephesians 6:4 · Proverbs 22:6Lara Jean and Peter begin with a fake relationship designed to make someone jealous. How can jealousy distort our choices and relationships?
James 3:14–16 · Proverbs 14:30The characters often follow their emotions. How should wisdom and self-control shape romantic decisions?
Proverbs 4:23 · Galatians 5:22–23The Final Word
This is a fun, heartwarming romantic comedy with appealing characters, strong family elements, and meaningful themes of friendship and loyalty. Its foul language, underage drinking, and other objectionable content make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For discerning adults, the answer is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY.
