History Film / TheKissingBooth

A 2018 teen romantic {{dramedy}} film, [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on]] [[Literature/TheKissingBooth the novel]] of the same name by Beth Reekles[[note]]Notable for being one of the few Website/{{Wattpad}} stories to be published and distributed in print form[[/note]] and directed by Vince Marcello.

It revolves around Elle Evans (Creator/JoeyKing), a teenage girl who develops a crush on older student Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi). However, one of the biggest obstacles to them getting together is Noah's brother Lee (Creator/JoelCourtney), who happens to be Elle's BestFriend with whom she has a set of strict 'friendship rules'. Chief amongst these rules is "No dating your friend's siblings", but will Elle's feelings for Noah trump her friendship with Lee?

* BastardBoyfriend: Noah comes across as a bit of one to Elle, being rather controlling and aggressive around her (for example, he beats up or threatens to beat up any guys who show interest in her, simply because he doesn't want her dating anyone. And this is ''before'' they start a relationship). Another somewhat infamous example is when Elle gets upset at Noah for fighting and storms off, ignoring his demands to get in his car until he slams his hand on the roof and [[SuddenlyShouting yells for her to get in]]. Then, instead of taking her home, he drives her to the Hollywood sign. He also generally responds to Elle's complaints about his behavior with amusement more than anything.
--> '''Elle:''' It is not your job to monitor my dating life, do you understand me? The days of you controlling my life are ''over''!\\
'''Noah:''' We'll see about that.

* DangerouslyShortSkirt: The plot proper starts when Elle rips her uniform pants the first day of school and has to wear last year's uniform skirt to school, getting the entire student bodies attention and getting her groped by a JerkJock. She ends up being sent to the principal's office for violating the school dress code.

* BigFancyHouse: The Flynns live in one.

It was followed by a sequel, ''Film/TheKissingBooth2'', in 2020. A second sequel (secretly filmed in conjunction with ''The Kissing Booth 2'') is set for release in 2021.

* DangerouslyShortSkirt: The plot proper starts when Elle rips her uniform pants the first day of school and has to wear last year's uniform skirt to school, getting the entire student bodies attention and getting her groped by a JerkJock. RealityEnsues with her getting sent to the principal's office for violating the school dress code.

** Creator/MollyRingwald plays Mrs Flynn, Noah and Lee's mother. She is well-known for playing the female lead in teen rom-coms from TheEighties, such as ''Film/SixteenCandles'' and ''Film/PrettyInPink''.

* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: The PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure plays out differently compared to the novel. In the book, [[spoiler:Lee's beef after the secret relationship is outed is that Elle lied to him. He doesn't particularly care that she hooked up with his brother; he is mad because Elle seems to care for Noah more than being honest with him, even though they are best friends. The conflict lasts less than a day before Elle quietly reconciles with Lee through a phone call, and the rest of the book is spent with Elle mustering up the courage to talk with Noah.]] The film puts a lot more emphasis on Elle's friendship with Lee and Lee's insecurity of being the most popular jock's younger brother, so [[spoiler:Lee is mad at Elle for hooking up with Noah ''period''; he never wanted them to hook up even if they were honest, because he wanted to keep Elle for himself. As a result, his beef with her lasts longer and factors in to her dilemma whether to stay with Noah or break up with him]].

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: The first guy Elle asks out is the same guy who sexually harassed her in front of the whole school and nearly beat up Lee when he tried to defend her. And she has a huge crush on Noah, a womaniser who constantly gets into fights, threatens other guys into staying away from her without her knowledge or consent, and emotionally manipulates her. It's not just Elle either; practically every girl in school is head over heels for Noah.

* BastardBoyfriend: Noah comes across as a bit of one to Elle, being rather controlling and aggressive around her (for example, he beats up or threatens to beat up any guys who show interest in her, simply because he doesn't want her dating anyone. And this is ''before'' they start a relationship). Another somewhat infamous example is when Elle gets upset at Noah for fighting and storms off, ignoring his demands to get in his car until he slams his hand on the roof and [[SuddenlyShouting yells for her to get in]]. Then, instead of taking her home he drives her to the Hollywood sign. He also generally responds to Elle's complaints about his behaviour with amusement more than anything.

* BigDamnKiss: Elle and Noah have one at the kissing booth, complete with the camera spinning round them and the light-up sign behind them exploding with sparks in a not-so-subtle visual metaphor.

* BiggerIsBetterInBed: Implied with Noah; he's swooned over by just about every girl in school and wears an XL sized groin guard.

** Elle's circle of friends is much larger in the book. The film merges most of her girl friends into the GirlPosse OMG Girls (Mia is a CanonForeigner and Olivia and Georgia, while exist, do not form a separate group of their own) and switches out or eliminates her boy friends' relationship (Warren is made a JerkJock and takes the role of Patrick, Ollie is reduced to a few cameos, etc.) so it's more evident that Lee is her best friend.

* FriendVersusLover: Elle insists on keeping her relationship with Noah secret to avoid this, because Lee has made it ''very'' clear he doesn't want them romantically involved, even getting slightly upset they kissed at the kissing booth despite it being for charity. Inevitably, he does find out and things quickly go south. [[spoiler: Elle and Noah effectively break up, while Lee stops talking to her. They eventually reconcile, but Elle then confronts him over how stupid it is she can't date his brother, arguing that it doesn't change their friendship and even suggesting they shouldn't be friends anymore if they would fall out over something like this. Lee concedes and helps her get to Noah in time to proclaim her love]].
* FundraiserCarnival: One of the main plot points is that Elle and Lee need to come up with a fundraising idea for the school carnival and deciding on a kissing booth. Elle ends up being kissed by Noah at the booth, which results in them [[LoveEpiphany realising they like each other as more than friends]].

** Noah comes across as one; he plays football and is a smug womaniser who constantly gets into fights.

* MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: Dear Lord. Noah has apparently been caught making out with girls in a glass house numerous times. When [[spoiler: he and Elle]] have sex for the first time, it's outside next to the Hollywood sign (which in real life has all sorts of cameras, sensors and the LAPD monitoring it constantly). At one point, they actually go at it on a classroom desk before school starts and subsequently [[spoiler: Elle]] has to find a way to steal the tape recordings from the principal's office when she realises there are cameras in the room.

* PacManFever: When playing the ''Dance Dance Mania'' arcade game, Elle and Lee clearly don't abide by the rules of real-life ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution'' that it's based on. The two switch sides, step wherever and whenever they like, and ''do extended U-turns'' at some point, which are definite no-nos for supposed veterans of the game.[[note]]A few accomplished DDR players do spin to hit notes that form a bridge (e.g. up, right, down, left, up), but these are performed briefly. Those who face backwards for an extended period of time are either insane or have memorized the stepchart perfectly.[[/note]]

* PlatonicLifePartners: Elle and Lee start out as this, until Elle’s crush on Noah starts to take more precedence.

* SatelliteLoveInterest: Rachel for Lee. Her very first scene about halfway through the movie involves her popping up to kiss Lee at the kissing booth after he is rejected by Mia. Afterwards, they begin a relationship.

* SexyShirtSwitch: After she wakes up from binge-drinking at the house party, Elle wakes up wearing Noah's shirt in his room. Naturally, she freaks out at the [[WhatDidIDoLastNight implication]], but is reassurred by Noah that they didn't do anything funny the night before.

* ShirtlessScene: Both Lee and Noah at the beginning pool party. Noah has a couple more of these later on, cementing his status as a MrFanservice.

It revolves around Elle Evans (Creator/JoeyKing), a teenage girl who develops a crush on older student Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi). However, one of the biggest obstacles to them getting together is Noah's brother Lee (Joel Courtney), who happens to be Elle's BestFriend with whom she has a set of strict 'friendship rules'. Chief amongst these rules is "No dating your friend's siblings", but will Elle's feelings for Noah trump her friendship with Lee?

A 2018 teen romantic {{dramedy}} film, [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on the novel]] of the same name by Beth Reekles[[note]]Notable for being one of the few Website/{{Wattpad}} stories to be published and distributed in print form[[/note]], directed by Vince Marcello.

** The film changes the party at Warren's house to a gathering at Santa Monica. Rather than going to the Flynn's house, Elle and Noah go to the Hollywood sign after the former storms off. They also outright consummate their relationship, while in the book, Elle pointedly refuses to have sex with Noah because she isn't ready.

* AdaptationExpansion: The "best friends rule" that Elle and Lee envisaged is a film addition, as the book makes no mention of it.

* AlliterativeName: Elle's full name is Elle Evans.

** Warren, the guy who forcefully hits on Elle at Santa Monica and [[SlutShaming slut-shames]] her, causing Noah to fly into a rage and beat him up.

** In the book, [[spoiler:Elle reconciles with Noah before the Winter Dance, as a result, they spend the rest of the summer, including the trip to the beach house, as a couple.]] This would have considerably lengthened the film, so instead [[spoiler:the two reconcile right before Noah is about to leave for Boston.]]

* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: The PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure plays out differently compared to the novel. In the book, [[spoiler:Lee's beef after the secret relationship is outed is that Elle lied to him. He doesn't particularly care that she hooks up with his brother; he is mad because Elle seems to care for Noah more than being honest with him, even though they are best friends. The conflict lasts less than a day before Elle quietly reconciles with Lee through a phone call, and the rest of the book is spent with Elle mustering up up the courage to talk with Noah.]] The film puts a lot more emphasis on Elle's friendship with Lee and Lee's insecurity of being the most popular jock's younger brother, so [[spoiler:Lee is mad at Elle for hooking up with Noah ''period''; he never wants them to hook up even if they were honest, because he wants to keep Elle for himself. As a result, his beef with her lasts longer and factors in to her dilemma whether to stay with Noah or break up with him]].

** There's also Tuppen, the guy who grabs Elle's ass in front of the whole school and tries to beat up Lee for defending her.

* PacManFever: When playing ''Dance Dance Mania'' arcade game, Elle and Lee clearly don't abide by the rules of real-life ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution'' that it's based on. The two switch sides, step wherever and whenever they like, and ''do extended U-turns'' at some points, which are definite no-nos for supposed veterans of the game.[[note]]A few accomplished DDR players do spin to hit notes that form a bridge (e.g. up, right, down, left, up), but these are performed briefly. Those who face backwards for an extended period of time are either insane or have memorized the stepchart perfectly.[[/note]]

* ChildhoodFriend: Elle and Lee have been best friends since they were little kids.

** There's also the guy who grabs Elle's ass in front of the whole school and tries to beat up Lee for defending her.

* WalkingShirtlessScene: Noah's character is [[EstablishingCharacterMoment introduced]] with one.

* ActorAllusion: Creator/MollyRingwald plays Mrs Flynn, Noah and Lee's mother. She is well-known for playing the female lead in teen rom-coms from TheEighties, such as ''Film/SixteenCandles'' and ''Film/PrettyInPink''.

It revolves around Elle Evans (Joey King), a teenage girl who develops a crush on older student Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi). However, one of the biggest obstacles to them getting together is Noah's brother Lee (Joel Courtney), who happens to be Elle's BestFriend with whom she has a set of strict 'friendship rules'. Chief amongst these rules is "No dating your friend's siblings", but will Elle's feelings for Noah trump her friendship with Lee?

It revolves around Elle Evans (Creator/JoeyKing), a teenage girl who develops a crush on older student Noah Flynn (Creator/JacobElordi). However, one of the biggest obstacles to them getting together is Noah's brother Lee (Creator/JoelCourtney), who happens to be Elle's BestFriend with whom she has a set of strict 'friendship rules'. Chief amongst these rules is "No dating your friend's siblings", but will Elle's feelings for Noah trump her friendship with Lee?

It was followed by a sequel, ''Film/TheKissingBooth2'', in 2020.
Shortly after the second movie dropped, it was revealed that Film/TheKissingBooth3 was not only coming in 2021, but that it was already filmed and in post production, having been filmed in conjunction with The movie above.