It’s the movie that’s been sweeping the nation, the one you stumble into on Netflix then immediately text your close friends who also appreciate a good teen rom-com and they reply, “I’ve already watched it three times.” So why is a cheesy movie with subpar acting about 17 year olds falling in love after a first kiss in front of their entire school at a fundraising carnival all the rage? LET ME TELL YOU.

5. Friendship Goals. I feel like it’s impossible for a guy and a girl to be BFF’s without at some point there being feelings or weirdness and this movie proves that wrong. There were times that I questioned Lee’s sexuality, like when they had the classic dressing room scene or the fact that they love to dance together BUT I quickly let it go realizing that these two are just peas in a pod as besties. As Elle’s BFF should Lee maybe have not let her strut into the first day of school with her bhole hanging out? Yeah probably, but her dad didn’t stop her either so there was more than one offense on that. Lee makes Elle a hangover kit after the party, drives her ass everywhere and lets her third wheel at prom and all in all that’s a killer friend. Except for the whole, choose friendship over love, it’s goals all around.

4. They make high school look SUPER KEWL. As you guys might’ve inferred, I wasn’t the coolest cat in high school. In fact, I was much like Elle (personality wise…in no way was I stripping in front of the football team or banging the QB.) That being said, high school was just meh. We drank Barton’s vodka in our parent’s basements, which we referred to as St. Barts to feel classier because it was 100% rubbing alcohol and sometimes one of my friends would throw up or the cops would come. So watching this high school experience of parties in literal mansions and at the beach was a real TREAT. I never even knew you could combine slip n slide and flip cup and now I don’t want to do anything else ever again. HOW FUN ARE THEY?!

3. There isn’t JUST kissing. As an avid viewer of teen flicks, sometimes it makes me uncomfy that I’m in my mid-twenties watching high schoolers fall in love and ending the movie with a no-tongue kiss (this also applies to Hallmark movies.) Call it what you want but sometimes you just need a little 13 in your PG, which is why I appreciated the hell out of this movie. I was nervous when it started with Elle telling us how she’s never even been kissed. Then she gets tongued real hard by Flynn and hop, skip, jump they’re banging in front of the Hollywood sign. Whew. What a whirlwind. But thankfully this allowed for a CLASSIC rom com montage which included a lot of boning scenes, some of them pretty risque. Like doing it on the science lab tables at school? You go, girl! Get down with your skanky high school self. Guess that’s just what the youths are doing these days (look no further than a kissing booth where blindfolded teenagers lick each other for money) and I approve because sometimes that’s just what you need to spice things up and make us old people feel better about devoting a night (or three) to watching.

2. FLYNN. I mean come on. As far as babe soda leading men goes, this guy is a specimen. I mean seriously who has abs that defined in high school? Besides the fact that he’s a total makeout whore and has questionable choice in women (facial piercing chick who tasted like cheetos), Flynn is the high school teen dream. He’s tall, he plays football and has a little bad boy side to him with the motorcycle and slight rage problem — that of course can be tamed by the right girl. But Flynn also has a sensitive side looking out for Elle, maybe being a little too protective at times. Realistically though, if Flynn didn’t stop this boner from dating Elle SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE.

Either way, well done with this casting because it was perfection. At one point my sister and our friend (both in their 30’s) and I sat on the couch sighing over Flynn and then immediately questioned if it was legal to drool over an actor that young. Pretty sure he’s 21, so it’s legit, guys. No need to sound the alarms here.

Also he was lookin REAL mature in that grey suit coat. SWOON.

1.  Elle & Flynn are a real life love story. Once I finally convinced my sister to watch this movie, she went full obsession stalker mode and immediately followed all of the actors on Instagram and to her delighted surprise, discovered that Elle and Flynn are REAL LIFE DATING. So this is the love story that never ends and bonus points Flynn is Australian IRL so he has an adorbs accent and they’re probably going to get married and have Kissing Booth kids. Or like, this was just a set fling because they’re both still babies themselves. Side note: the only thing that grinds my gears about their relationship (movie OR IRL) is that she is barely above legal little person size and he’s like over 6 feet. As a tall girl whose always needed a male counterpart that’s taller than me, I find it downright selfish when I see short ass girls stealing the tall guys. YOU’RE SHORT, EVERY GUY IS TALLER THAN YOU!! TAKE SOME OF THE FIVE FOOTERS OFF THE MARKET AND LEAVE THE SIXERS FOR US GANGLERODS. End rant. (I’m obviously still bitter about the fact that she fits perfectly under his chin for a good ole chintuck snugg.)

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BONUS If you’re feeling uncomfortable about watching teenagers fall in love and obsessing over it like I did…you can at least appreciate the cliche bitchy girl group aptly named the “OMG’s” and laugh out loud at their HORRENDOUS acting. (Seriously, there’s something for everyone in this movie.) Anytime these three betches grace the screen we’re treated to a full zoom on their faces as well as every sentence ending in GURL. The party scene in particular is cringeworthy as “G” says HEYYYY GURRRRLLL, WHATS GUCCI?! and laughs hysterically at how cool she thinks she is. Remind me to never say Gucci again.