RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE isn’t going to win any big awards. It’s probably not going to go on any end-of-year “Best Of” lists from major critics or groups. And I’ll admit, it takes a lot for a romantic comedy to impress me. What RED, WHITE, & ROYAL BLUE is: An funny, sexy, and absolute charmer of a film with a wonderful cast and an important message.
I imagine some folks will be turned off the premise. It’s about the child of the US President and the grandchild of the King of England falling in love. Both are gorgeous, well-off young adults who lead privileged lives. Some will turn up their noses at the US Government playing a small role in the film, and some will do the same about British Royalty playing a large role in it. RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE is a decisively anti-Royal Family movie. The FIRST FAMILY of the USA however is depicted as loving, supportive, and progressive.
One thing I haven’t told you yet, but you should know if you’ve seen the movie’s poster, trailer, or the movie itself: The romance in this film is between two young men. It’s wonderful that there’s been an uptick in LBGTQ-led films & TV shows over the last few years. LOVE, SIMON, HEARTSTOPPER, BROS, and PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE are just a few I’ve enjoyed. RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE is rated R for mature content, brief partial nudity, and language. It’s far more mature than some of the teen stories mentioned above, but it falls much closer to PG-13 than POALOF or BROS.
The relationship between leads Alex (Taylor Zakhar Perez) and Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) is romantic and sensual, but there’s nothing intensely sexual in the film. If you’re wondering if this is appropriate for your teenager, I’d recommend watching it with them. The underlying themes of fighting for what is right and being happy with who you truly are, no matter what others say, is more important than ever, especially for LBGTQ+ teens and young adults. Perez and Galitzine are both incredibly talented and have beautiful chemistry.
Uma Thurman and Clifton Collins play the President of the United States and the First Gentleman, Alex’s parents. Every time an actor or actress I grew up with plays the parents of other adults, I’m taken aback. “How did I get this old?” echoes in my head. There’s also a wonderful cameo as the King of England, but I won’t ruin that here. I do imagine though, that most who watch this will wish they were the descendents of the President instead of the King. Set aside two hours of your day and sit down and watch RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE. You’ll be glad you did.
Based on the book by 2019 novel by Casey McQuiston, the film is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
