Overview
If you were to think of your favorite cheesy teen romance movie growing up, which one comes to mind? Well, for Gen Z, there’s a good chance they’ll recall The Kissing Booth. Starring Joey King (who you may remember from Ramona and Beezus), this movie has everything you’d expect in a teen rom-com. It’s based on the age-old trope of a girl falling for her best friend’s older brother. While main character Elle has always had a crush on Lee’s older brother, Noah, it’s only when she mistakenly ends up in a kissing booth with him that sparks start to fly.
When The Kissing Booth came out on Netflix in 2018, it quickly became the must-see film for that summer. But many viewers might not know that it was originally a story written by 15-year-old Wattpad writer Beth Reekles. Since then, Netflix has released two more movies in The Kissing Booth saga, though the sequels never reached the same popularity as the first.
So, is the original movie safe for kids to watch? The short answer is that it’s likely appropriate for most teenagers to watch. Considering it’s set in high school, teens might relate to some of the relationship dynamics and characters. But just so you can make the best decision for your kid, we’ve laid out all the details you need to know right here!
Harmful Content ❗️
The Kissing Booth doesn’t shy away from commonplace yet mature high school themes like sex and underage drinking. The spirit of the movie, though, is not particularly raunchy. Amidst the party scenes and complicated relationship drama, characters frequently make ill-advised decisions. But again, it’s all very playful.
Just as an example, Elle and Noah briefly hook up in the science lab at school. Later, when Elle realizes there’s a security camera in the lab, she purposely creates a stink bomb that sends her to the principal’s office. In the office, she steals the security tape from the day she and Noah were there.
There’s also a subtle absence of parental influence — the teens in the movie do have parents, but they don’t make frequent appearances throughout the story. The teens occasionally sneak around their parents, but mostly it seems they’re left to their own devices.
Language
There is some frequent swearing, such as “damn”, “sh*t”, “b*tch”, and “d*ck”. There’s also at least one instance of the F-bomb.
Sex
As you can expect from a teen romance movie, there’s a fair amount of teens making out and shown in minimal clothing. There are no explicit sexual scenes or nudity. However, there are a handful of scenes where sex is implied. In particular, Elle and Noah, are frequently sneaking around and hooking up.
One major part of this movie is Elle experiencing what it’s like to have guys interested in her for the first time. While getting used to this kind of attention, she has a few lapses of judgment. In one party scene, she gets drunk and strips down to her bra and underwear in front of a bunch of guys who cheer her on and take pictures. In another scene, she strips down to her bra in the boy’s locker room and briefly dances suggestively in front of them.
These scenes are meant to be over-the-top and even cringy, but parents should make sure to have conversations with their kids about respecting their bodies and others.
Violence
Noah’s character frequently gets into schoolyard fights. Characters punch and kick each other, but the scenes are brief and don’t get too bloody. Besides this, there’s minimal violence in The Kissing Booth.
Positive Value 💫
No matter how you feel about cheesy rom-coms, you can’t deny this is a classic, feel-good teen romance movie. The outlandish high school antics and excitement of new love have always been the secret ingredients for this genre, and The Kissing Booth has both perfected!
But not all fun movies are necessarily helpful or even appropriate for all ages. If you consider Elle, she is confident, fun-loving, and loyal to her friends. But she certainly has her fair share of mistakes throughout the movie that don’t make her a great role model. The good thing is that most kids likely already know this without having it explained to them. But it can certainly open up needed conversations about healthy relationships (both romantic and friendships) and how to make smart decisions despite other people’s perceptions.
So, should my kid watch it?
We’d say this movie is safe for teens around 14 or older. As long as you feel your child can watch and take it for what it is — an amusing, mostly unrealistic romance movie — then it should be okay for them to watch it!
