The Reel Review
Rivalry blossoms into romance when the son of the U.S. President and the grandson of the King of England fall in love and begin a secret romantic relationship, in this Amazon original film based on Casey McQuiston’s 2019 bestselling novel.
After a painfully corny start, this LGBTQ+ romcom finally settles into a sweet, albeit predictable romance. Of the two leads, Nicholas Galitzine (Cinderella, Purple Hearts) – as the snooty, more uptight Royal – shows more emotional depth when things get more serious with Taylor Zakhar Perez (The Kissing Booth 2 and 3) as the smiley, hammily arrogant First Son. Even with a truly God-awful Texas accent, Uma Thurman has a cute moment as the Madame President faced with her son’s coming out, with a scene-stealing Sarah Shahi (Black Adam) as the quick-witted political strategist.
If sweet but slight montages are your thing, then this crowd-pleasing, feel-good fluff will certainly fit the bill. Director Matthew López at least handles the intimacy between the two characters with realism and sensitivity. Red, White & Royal Blue has proved one thing – cheesy, formulaic Hallmark romcom melodrama representation has definitely arrived for the LGBTQ+ community.
REEL FACTS
• Red, White & Royal Blue director Matthew López has questioned if the MPAA still would have given his film an R rating had it featured a straight couple. The MPAA says it rated the film R due to sexual content, partial nudity (a brief bare ass), and language.
• It was Uma Thurman and Nicholas Galitzine who previously co-starred as mother and son in the 2019 mystery series, Chambers.
• When Alex and Henry are on vacation reading in the hammock during the film, Alex is seen reading ‘One Last Stop,’ Casey McQuiston’s second novel.
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