Best friends Elle and Lee are back in The Kissing Booth 2 movie, which is now available to stream on Netflix. Even though the movie is primarily about high school students, is it appropriate for kids, tweens, and teens? And do you need to watch the original movie to understand the sequel? I’m answering these questions and more in my spoiler free parent movie review. With a TV-14 rating that includes frequent use of profanity and some sexually suggestive scenes, here’s what parents need to know.
The Kissing Booth 2: What Parents Need to Know
The Kissing Booth 2 is the much anticipated sequel to The Kissing Booth which was originally released in 2018. Not only is Elle and Lee’s friendship tested again, but so is Elle’s long distance relationship with her boyfriend, Noah. Here’s what you need to know to help you decide whether or not The Kissing Booth 2 is appropriate for kids, tweens, and teens.
Has Noah moved on now that he’s a college student?
It’s Rated TV-14
The movie is rated TV-14 which means that it contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age. It’s usually strong coarse language, intense violence, intense sexual situations, and/or intensely suggestive dialogue that determine a TV-14 rating. Here, there is frequent use of profanity, some sexually suggestive scenes, and intensely suggestive dialogue, but more about that below.
Violence
There really isn’t any violence in The Kissing Booth 2, which is an improvement over the original movie. Elle’s boyfriend, Noah, has struggled with anger issues which was forefront in the original The Kissing Booth. However, in this sequel, Noah is (thankfully) in more control of his anger.
Sexually Suggestive Scenes
There is one sex scene in The Kissing Booth 2 but private body parts aren’t shown. There are also a few scenes where some of the male characters are shirtless. And last but not least, the movie lives up to its name - you can expect quite a few kissing scenes, although the actual Kissing Booth isn’t as important to the storyline as it was in the original movie.
Elle has a potential new love interest in The Kissing Booth 2.
Language
It’s the words, not the actions, that push this movie into a TV-14 rating. Some of the characters, especially Elle, say words like a*s, h**l, s**t, s*n of a b***h, d**n, p****d, and c**k blocking. Whew. I’m tired from even typing all that. Elle, when referring to a possible love interest’s butt, says she doesn’t know if she wants to lick it, smack it or bite it and during another scene, she tells Noah that she’s going to treat him like her own personal jungle gym. Yikes.
Do you have to see Kissing Booth 1 to understand Kissing Booth 2?
Not necessarily, but I do think you are missing out if you haven’t seen the first movie. In the original movie, Elle and Lee are childhood best friends whose friendship goes through growing pains when Elle falls in love with Lee’s older brother Noah. The movie ends with a cliffhanger - Noah goes off to college, leaving Elle with his motorcycle. At the airport, Noah doesn’t look back one final time for Elle, so she’s left with doubts. The sequel basically starts off where the originally movie left off - this time, Elle and Lee are high school seniors, while Noah is completing his first year of college at Harvard.
There are also references that you’ll only truly appreciate if you’ve seen the first movie (like the school skirt) and the kissing booth itself.
Overall Thoughts
I loved the first The Kissing Booth so I’ve been eagerly waiting for the sequel. And that might have been the problem - perhaps I expected too much. I liked the sequel but I didn’t enjoy it as much of the first one. I do think that the TV-14 rating is accurate for this movie. As always, use your discretion - but if language isn’t as much of an issue for you as violence is, then I’d say that it’s appropriate for those 14 years and older, as long as there is parental guidance.
About The Kissing Booth 2
Elle Evans (Joey King) just had the most romantic summer of her life with her reformed bad-boy boyfriend Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi). But now Noah is off to Harvard, and Elle heads back to high school for her senior year. She’ll have to juggle a long-distance relationship, getting into her dream college with her best friend Lee (Joel Courtney), and the complications brought on by a close friendship with a handsome, charismatic new classmate named Marco (Taylor Zakhar Perez). When Noah grows close to a seemingly-perfect college girl (Maisie Richardson-Sellers), Elle will have to decide how much she trusts him and to whom her heart truly belongs. Director and screenwriter Vince Marcello returns for The Kissing Booth sequel, based on the “The Kissing Booth” books by Beth Reekles.
I will watch the movie.