Red, White, & Royal Blue
The most satisfying trope to watch or read is enemies-to-lovers. When done correctly, viewers can watch their most secret guilty pleasure come to life as steamy tension builds from bitterness shared between characters. After many failed fanfiction-to-film adaptations that employ this trope, Red, White, & Royal Blue enters the arena with a plot entirely built on this trope with enemies First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz and HRH Prince Henry.
This is truly a film for the AO3, Wattpad, and Tumblr readers as its story structure mirrors the anticipation of a notification that the next chapter is available.
Adapted from Casey McQuiston’s novel (which is based on Prince Harry fanfiction), a love affair blooms between the charismatic president’s son and the British crown’s spare. The young men live lives completely unrelatable to normal people, but both suffer under the pressure that comes with being a public figure and balancing a love life. Director Matthew López is not afraid to lean into the absurdity of the genre which results in a delectable, entertaining watch.
Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine fully understand the characters they are stepping into. It is the embrace of their cliche qualities that make this surrealist world believable. In this relationship, Alex is the rebel that causes a geo-political catastrophe by starting a cake fight with Prince Henry. While on the outside he looks like a baddie, he is full of emotions that include thinking of politics as something that can actually help people instead of a power-wielding device. He has something he stands for shown through a subplot of how to win Texas for his mother’s campaign which makes him a fleshed-out character to root for.
Of course, to reach the story’s peak campness, Henry has to do the complete opposite of Alex. He is more reserved and takes himself a bit more seriously than his American counterpart. If you were trying to picture the stereotypical British person then Prince Henry would be it. Galitzine brings a softness to Henry that makes him more than just an uptight royal. Out of the two boys, he wears his vulnerability as he battles his inner conflict of his sexuality and his royal obligations. Henry is a sad boy.
Red, White, & Royal Blue disguises its studio comedy dialogue into timely 2023 vocabulary that manages to not feel unnatural like a lot of its other fanfiction competitors. Little details are added into the banter that only certain age groups will pick up on leaving them up for interpretation based on your generation. Watching two people slowly realize they like each other is exhilarating. López elevates the on-screen text effect by actually placing his leads in the same room to emulate the intimacy behind their words while being miles away from one another. It is a cute touch that adds personality to this adaptation. These little back-and-forth moments make their eventual hook-up in the white house well-deserved.
The script doesn't bother to lean into the serious aspects of what this type of relationship would lead to in the real world. This is a fairy tale where love wins against all. While there are more characters that are supportive of this romance, it includes the representation of those who are not through the British monarchy but that isn’t enough to block Henry and Alex. Even when they are outed to the public it all comes back to how they are feelings and not what others perceive of them. It is a hopeful message to leave with young people when they question themselves over who they love.
This film is so much fun, especially for those well-versed in the world of fanfiction. This story hits every single beat necessary to make a compelling romance as it knows who its audience is and the story it is telling.
Love is real and can be fun.