Rating: 4.4/5
In the format of a cliché rom-com film, Red, White & Royal Blue has become a new fan favorite film and a significant catalyst for gay representation and queer portrayals in modern media. Written by Casey McQuiston, and released on May 14th, 2019, the book Red, White & Royal Blue easily became a best-selling novel that prompted the production and release of a cinematic version 4 years later. With little deviation from the book, Red,White & Royal Blue has created a new Amazon Prime Original hit that was released on July 22, 2023, becoming one of the most popular summer films of this year. This movie stars Nicholas Galitzine from Purple Hearts as Prince Henry and Taylor Zakhar Perez from The Kissing Booth trilogy as Alex Claremont-Diaz. Straying from their typical experience in heterosexual romance, both these actors impressively and successfully create an enchanting and enticing love story between the two men.
This movie subtly and cleverly transitions from tension filled scenes to witty and delightful banter, and ends off with a scene that would inspire and touch the hearts of viewers. Starting the movie off with a classic enemies to lovers trope, Alex-Claremont Diaz, the first son of the United States, and Prince Henry of England both seem to dislike each other over a misunderstanding that occurred a couple of years back in the movie. After a major scandal that invokes public disapproval, the two are forced to put on the pretense of being friends with each other in order to avoid global mayhem and international scandal. However, in a predictable turn of events, both political figures find understanding and friendship with one another that dramatically turns into a secret romance. While the first half of the movie intensely focuses on the love they possess for each other, we later see the struggles both lovers face of identifying as queer and living a life that truly opposes the conduct of their upbringing. The story continues with both of them struggling to protect their public image in hopes that they prevent another international entanglement that would jeopardize an election and the reputation of the royal family.
Despite its predictability, Red, White & Royal Blue effectively creates a relationship with the audience in terms of relatability. With its queer representation, this movie can easily be distinguished from other calculable rom-coms. The movie’s diverse cast also plays the roles of powerful figures in politics, normalizing the idea of different races and genders in influential positions. Alex Claremont-Diaz shares his experience of growing up as a normal middle-class Hispanic-American and his sudden rise to fame. Even with his fame he stays true to his identity and his cultural roots by embracing them through pursuing his dream to help people and bravely confronting those who critique and get involved in his private life. Prince Henry especially finds disparity between the pressures of the royal family and his duty to his country with his personal desires of openly embracing his sexual orientation. Both of these characters go through immense character development and eventually reach a resolution in which they both enable themselves to enjoy their lives. This movie teaches a valuable lesson of learning how to accept and embrace your culture and identity to audience members who may relate to Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry’s struggles. Red, White & Royal Blue is now another movie that sets a landmark in theendeavor of creating fresh new stories in which a significantly diverse cast is highlighted and standardized.
Even with a lack of realism in the interactions of political relations, Red, White & Royal Blue is a movie with themes of inclusivity especially designed for hopeless romantics.
