16-07-2025
The Summer I Turned Pretty 3 Review: A dull ride through a cringe summer rom-com
At this point, 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' feels less like a coming-of-age romance and more like deja vu in a sundress. Season 3 is here, and sadly, it brings back the same recycled drama wrapped in beachy aesthetics and predictable love triangles. Honestly, we've turned too pretty, too many times, and it's getting storyline, at least in the first two episodes, is all over the place. It can't decide whether it wants to go deep and emotional or just stick to surface-level angst. For a change, Belly (Lola Tung) isn't torn between the Fisher brothers but is now juggling her blooming relationship with Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno) and her career. And the stakes are practically non-existent. The emotional beats feel forced, the conflicts are eye-roll-inducing, and the pacing drags like a bad summer ending of Episode 1 plays out like a 'FRIENDS' rerun. That 'we were on a break' Ross-and-Rachel moment is just slightly rebranded. The dialogues feel borderline copied. The season also dips deeper into Taylor, Belly's best friend (Rain Spencer) and Steven's (Sean Kaufman) relationship, which, thankfully, offers a brief reprieve from the usual love triangle the trailer for 'The Summer I Turned Pretty 3' here:
We get it - college drama, heartbreak, poolside confessions, and longing stares - but how many more slow-mo beach walks and lazy couch heart-to-hearts can we sit through before it all just feels cringe? These tropes have been done to death, and Season 3 brings nothing new to the table. It's like watching your favourite 2013 Tumblr fanfic loop on the soundtrack slaps (shoutout to Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey's iconic chartbusters), occasionally swooping in like a knight in shining armour to save the weak script. And yes, the cast looks great. But vibes alone can't carry a show it comes to teen rom-coms, audiences are craving more than pretty faces and worn-out love triangles. We're bored. Season 3 proves the show might've peaked during its very first summer. Episode 2 ends on a cliffhanger meant to be poetic - but it just lands flat. Low-key, it's cringe. And it still has a long way to go.'The Summer I Turned Pretty' Season 3 is now streaming on Prime review is based on the first two episodes.- Ends2 out of 5 stars for 'The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3'
