Red, White & Royal Blue review: A steamy but predictable rom-com

Buckingham Palace is an unusual place for a meet-cute but then again nothing is particularly traditional in Red, White & Royal Blue. The romantic comedy follows a love affair that gives new meaning to the term ‘special relationship’.

The will-they won’t-they of Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) and the President’s son Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez) proves equal parts steamy and sweet in Tony Award-winner Matthew López’s debut feature. 

Based on Casey McQuiston’s 2019 romantic comedy novel of the same name, Red, White & Royal Blue overcomes some of the novel’s more slushy pitfalls. However, that doesn’t entirely relieve the film from being restricted by its sense of loyalty to the source material.

The golden boys are two of the most recognisable faces in their home countries. Galitzine (a prince incarnate) embraces smarmy royalty and Perez (whose eye lashes are to die for) is the American elite with progressive values. However, in the enemies-to-lovers narrative, romance lurches between unexpectedly sweet and sometimes cartoonish.

Joan Jett’s ‘Bad Reputation’ – with its defiant lyrics soundtracks an ironic but ballsy entrance from these two closeted men. It turns out a falling wedding cake with Herny and Alex left sticky beneath is an international incident where the respective institutions do very much care about their reputation.

“Red, White & Royal Blue overcomes some of the novel’s more slushy pitfalls”

Henry and Alex bristle in each other’s company but are thrust together after the royal icing debacle for damage control. They’re forced to amend the rocky international relations between the UK and the US amid a trade deal. So, the stakes are high for them both.

Henry’s the “Prince of England’s heart” a good-to-do national heartthrob with a distaste for royal duties. He’s desperately trying to stuff himself into the mould of the traditional establishment but suffocating in the spotlight. Meanwhile, standing to his right, Alex is hovering in his mother’s (Uma Thurman, whose accent changes between scenes) shadow as she runs for re-election.

While text graphics are questionable, López implements stirring visuals to accompany the pair’s long-distance bantering. As they get tangled in late-night conversations over the phone, Henry appears in the bed beside Alex, even though he’s an ocean away. Yet, when together, privacy remains a luxury.

They yank each other into rooms to make out away from the prying eyes of others. Henry and Alex become two shadows creeping around Kensington Palace and in hiding spots on the White House lawns.

“Popsugar tweets circulating that their ‘bromance’ is taking off are genuinely funny inserts”

Galitzine and Zakhar Perez do a good job of selling the steadily building romance (their chemistry works) that explodes with lust. Sex scenes aim for arthouse drama with close-ups of fingers grazing skin, knuckles whitening, and breathy moans. R-rated shenanigans are paired with a more heartfelt tone, that doesn’t always land, and a volatile sense of humour.

Though Popsugar tweets circulating that their “bromance” is taking off are genuinely funny inserts, the film is tonally underdeveloped. Persistent but predictable drama isn’t given room to breathe and so emotional scenes just become claustrophobic.

Besides the leads, Nora (Rachel Hilson), Alex’s confidant, is a brilliant scene stealer. Her brief appearances bring a welcome sense of playful ribbing that’s criminally underused. Also, Alex’s bodyguard (Aneesh Sheth) has a soft spot for the troublemaker. She’s a character that could fade into the background but Sheth’s performance makes her memorable. 

Between extravagant parties and stints of gay panic, Red, White & Royal Blue valiantly flirts with political nuance. However, the film falls short in any bold statement, bowing to shallow rom-com territory. British settings are constructed to resemble The Crown, but the film is limited in its criticism of the royal’s out-of-touch custom.

“There’s just too much sickly sweet icing layered on this royal rom-com to fully enjoy”

Similarly, Alex’s political desires have him launching a Texas grassroots activism movement from the Oval Office. Though discussion arises about trans rights in the conservative state, Red, White & Royal Blue takes the easy route with a cringe voiceover. Again, it’s another disappointing result of packing source material references in under two hours.

Inevitably, fans of the book will miss characters cut from the original novel and viewers will anticipate the movie’s ending from a mile off. Though Red, White & Royal Blue was never going to make waves in the LGBTQ+ mainstream canon, it can be said to be an fun watch. There’s just too much sickly sweet icing layered on this royal rom-com to fully enjoy.

Red, White & Royal Blue premieres globally on Prime Video on August 11.