Sean (Asher Angel) has hit sights set on winning a place at MIT and he’s surprised when the parents of his rebellious classmate Flora (Paris Berelc) ask him to date and tutor their daughter. Initially reluctant, Sean’s mind is changed when they offer to pay him and give him a letter of recommendation. As Sean gets to know Flora, he realises that she’s not quite the person he thought she was and the two form a genuine connection. Knowing that he’s deceiving Flora, Sean considers coming clean but he has to decide if it’s worth potentially sacrificing his future over.
‘Kissing is the Easy Part’ is the latest original move to debut on free streaming platform Tubi, that has been adapted from a Wattpad novel. Aiming to emulate the runaway success of ‘Sidelined: The QB & Me’, ‘Kissing is the Easy Part’ is banking on its already built-in fanbase of millions of people who have read the novel. Before I get into the meat of the review, it’s worthwhile pointing out that this film is very much aimed at teenagers and young adults, and there’s a definite trend in movies at the moment to stick to formulas that have been tried-and-tested.
With that in mind, anyone over the age of 16 will likely be familiar with the story that’s being told here. ‘Kissing is the Easy Part’ is a classic case of opposites attract, with one of those involved harbouring a secret. Sean is initially motivated by what he’ll get from the deal with Flora’s parents, but predictably he gets to know Flora and falls for her. The twists and turns in the plot are obvious and there’s nothing here that builds on a story that’s been told a million times before.
The majority of the film leaves the viewer waiting for Flora to find out the truth. There are plenty of characters that could tell her what’s going on, and you’ll work out fairly quickly which one will open their mouth and do it. The film builds the relationship between Sean and Flora nicely enough, with Angel and Berelc sparking a nice chemistry on screen. There are a few laughs along the way, and some sharp dialogue, but there are also plenty of too-familiar moments that we’ve seen in plenty of other movies.
That’s not to say that ‘Kissing is the Easy Part’ is a bad film. It isn’t. Even though you know exactly what’s going to happen at the very start of the film, ‘Kissing is the Easy Part’ benefits from a strong cast. Asher Angel had a breakout role in ‘Shazam!’ and he’s been looking for his next big role since those films. This is likely not going to be that for him, but he’s very good as Sean. Young girls are going to love him (the film-makers ensure he gets his shirt off plenty of times) and guys are going to wish they looked like him. Matching him is Paris Berelc who has fun as ‘bad girl’ Flora. Quite how bad Flora really is, is debatable but she throws herself into her role with conviction. Adding to the cast is “Schitt’s Creek” legend Jennifer Robertson as Sean’s mother, who serves as the film’s conscious and moral guidance.
‘Kissing is the Easy Part’ offers absolutely nothing new to the opposites attract romantic comedy genre, but it’s still an enjoyable enough watch. Is it a film you’re going to want to keep returning to? Probably not but for something to pass just over an hour and half, it’s a solid choice. The cast elevates the material and the story is plenty engaging, I just wish it had done something to try and make itself different from the films that have told this exact story before.
Cast: Asher Angel, Paris Berelc, Jennifer Robertson, Mark Ballantyne, Tom Keat Director: Fawzia Mirza Writers: Christine Duann (novel), Rebecca Webb (screenplay) Certificate: TV-14 Duration: 101 mins Released by: Tubi Release date: 13th February 2026 Watch on Tubi now
