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Okay. So basically, Noah is first introduced to us as this character like three times the size of Elle, and this character that his brother (Elle's best friend, Lee) thinks should not date Elle, raising a red flag. Lee wants what's best for Elle. And it's clear that Noah isn't that. But if we put that aside and we fast-forward to school, Tuppen sexually assaults her because she is wearing a skirt that is deemed too short in the eyes of the school. Then Lee tries and fails to protect her, and Noah goes psycho, beating Tuppen to a pulp. And of course, like always, the victim gets detention, so when Noah and Elle are waiting outside, he victim blames her, by saying, "Wearing a skirt like that is asking for it." I already didn't like Noah, but now I hate him. Telling somebody who was sexually assaulted that it was their fault because they were 'asking for it' by wearing clothes they were? That's a new level of low, and we're only about twenty minutes in! If that. Anyway, Elle goes on a date with Tuppen, and Noah is jealous. He stands her up (predictable) then explains that Noah has been meddling in her social life, and is the reason she has no prior dating experience, so she doesn't know what a healthy relationship is: the only people she's engaged in an even slightly romantic act with is a sexual assaulter and abusive, toxic man. But if we put all that aside, Elle is angry. So she calls Noah, and these are the words exchanged during the call:
Elle: You do realize that you're not my dad, right?
Noah: Look, you still got a lot to learn, kiddo.
Elle: Kiddo? Oh, my God. Oh, if you were here, I would beat you with my shoe.
Noah: Tuppen is a player.
Elle: So are you
Noah: And that's why I know he's wrong for you. You're gonna thank me one day.
Elle: Okay. Well, today is not that day. 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.
So Noah, creepy as he is, insists on continuing to manipulate and meddle with her life. He is trying to control her life. At that point, even he is warning her. Tuppen was a sexual assaulter, aka a piece of scum. And Noah? He compares himself to Tuppen. That should say something. Numerous red flags are up, but Elle is closing her eyes. Although that's not on her. She's the victim here, in this situation. I may not like Elle, but this stuff should not be happening. Anyway, let's put all that aside, yeah, and move on.
Elle and Lee suggest their idea for the fundraiser, a Kissing Booth (shocker) and of course, they need all the 'hot guys.' Convenient, because Love Interest Number 1 is a 'hot guy' when he's a toxic, abusive douchebag. Okay. I actually don't understand this point - are girls the main aim for this booth? (majority of people are straight in this world, but of course we have the gay tokens for diversity who have zero affect on the plot in the second movie) Because they aren't preoccupied with hot girls. Also, why are the girls presented as the objects to be kissed? No boys there? Doesn't matter, I guess. It's just an abusive relationship, in a plot that barely took two seconds to think out where like every character is an asshole. But I'm not judging that. After school, Noah tries to get Elle to come home with him on his motorbike. Of course, Elle refuses, yet he persists when she says no, because of course, Noah's reputation as a player. And I'm not surprised, you go Elle. He drops every girl. But, I mean, Elle is 'not like other girls.' Elle runs home, and she asks people to do the booth. Surprise, surprise, they say no to kinda selling themselves...and not getting anything from it except maybe herpes.
Okay. So, after that party I don't feel like talking about, because you know they used the same scene for every high school romcom, and the OMG's, aka the rip off mean girls, invite her over to get her intoxicated, and Elle is totally drunk. Elle asks Noah for the booth, girls he's making out with is mad, Elle gets rejected. There are a few partying scenes, and then Elle strips her clothes off leaving her underwear and dances. Lee, for some reason just watches her (see what I meant about assholes) and then Noah with all his chivalry takes her up into her room, dresses her in his clothes and then she wakes up presumably thinking they slept together, which of course, they didn't - but I wouldn't be surprised with Noah taking advantage of her intoxicated state and r*ping her, because when you're drunk, you can never consent. But the fact she suspected he might have r*ped her means she knows some degree of his toxicity, yet she is somehow still blind to it. Anyways, they had an 'accidental groping' session, and Elle is out and about again. Anyway, Elle lies about Noah liking one of the OMG's so they'll do the booth, and now she's got to convince Noah to do it, because the OMG'S (which he most definitely does not like) are waiting for him at the booth, and he's the main attraction for whoever's at the booth. Noah tries to order Elle around again, and she asks him about the booth again. (Clearly, neither of them can take a hint) and he refuses.
It's time for the booth now. I'm going to skip out on the beginning, but the OMG's push Elle out onto the stage and Noah comes up and kisses her, and thats something else I don't like: no matter who it was, if it was her boyfriend of a year of someone in her Physics Class, it was clearly not consensual. But the kiss happened, and since it was Noah, Elle enjoyed it, but Noah let her down, telling her it was 'just a kiss' manipulating her feelings, and now she's in this great dilemma, because Lee had been warning her all along with that friendship rule he insisted on. But let's skip a few minutes, after she tells Lee repeating what Noah said, where we're at the bit where Noah confesses his love with the classic fanfiction response, (I mean, this is WattPad, so...) 'You aren't like other girls, you didn't "fall at my feet" I love you you're so sweet!' Etc, etc.
So, to show his love for her, he takes her to a hookup spot where he takes all of his conquests. Perfect. That fanfiction thing is probably something he tells every girl, because Elle is clearly like the rest of the girls he's engaged in activities with.
Beach party. Warren tries to get a drunk Elle to skinny dip, and Noah jumps in, after an insult, punches Warren in the face and Elle runs off. When Elle is walking home, Noah screams and yells at her to "Just get in the car, Elle. Just get in the car, Elle. GET IN THE CAR, ELLE!" And with much violence, he punches his car in anger and frustration and toxicity and abuse (more controlling, great) Elle is scared (because it was clear that directed to her, Noah was yelling at her and he wanted to hit her) and she gets in. They go to the Hollywood sign (which they cannot go to, because I'm pretty sure you need to pay to go, like, as a tourist, but they filmed it in Africa so I'm sure they know jack shit about how the US works) and etc etc.
They start a relationship made up of sex and hiding. Sex and hiding includes a lot of these things, and not what a relationship should contain. What I don't like is that they think it's this huge secret that needs to be kept, it's not like they'll be discriminated against.
Lee is their only worry.
When Elle gets hurt and Noah is there, Lee immediately assumes he hit her. Why? Because he's lived with his brother...his whole life. He knows Noah like she back of his hand. He knows Noah is abusive. So when Elle's hurt, the only logical thing is to assume Noah did it. And what does that tell us if Noah's own brother assumes he abused her? And Noah's only response to being accused of violence is to...get violent. (Thank you, Cynical Reviews! You should watch him on YouTube. He's great. Especially his review of The Kissing Booth.)
After this, Lee finds out about their relationship, blah blah blah who cares. Except for the fact Lee is still angry: at Noah, not because Elle lied, but because he is sure how this is going to go, because he's experienced it from the sidelines - random girls he's barely known getting abused and having their hearts broken. And he doesn't want the next casualty to be Elle. Of course, like, no one supports them, because they know what happens every time Noah brings a girl home - or something of the sort.
Elle tells Lee to support them, she gets back with Noah and Noah...leaves.
A set up for a sequel which whenever I have time, will be analysed, because it is seriously abusive and toxic. None of these things were done out of 'love.' Love is a word used too carelessly in film. This, at the closest, is lust. And it is unhealthy, controlling, toxic and abusive.
So there's my argument!
I'm currently reading Betting on you by Lynn Painter. It's so good and I'm so in love with the love interest that I actually can't. It's so crazy how you forget that these people, the characters in the books that you read and favour, are not actual people. It's just a product of your imagination. 😭 I sound... um psychotic. But it's so sad. "Yeah, but they don't exist." "They exist to ME." 😭 Nah I should go to bed