Movie · 2023 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 58m · R · English
Curator score: 3.2/10 (698.2K ratings)
Love who you want. It's good foreign policy.
Overview
After an altercation between Alex, the president's son, and Britain's Prince Henry at a royal event becomes tabloid fodder, their long-running feud now threatens to drive a wedge in U.S./British relations. When the rivals are forced into a staged truce, their icy relationship begins to thaw and the friction between them sparks something deeper than they ever expected.
Ratings
Curator score: 3.2/10
IMDb: 7.0/10
Letterboxd: 3.22/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
Metacritic: 62
TMDB: 7.9/10
Director
Matthew López
Production
Amazon Studios, Berlanti Productions
Cast
Taylor Zakhar Perez, Nicholas Galitzine, Uma Thurman, Clifton Collins Jr., Rachel Hilson, Sarah Shahi, Ellie Bamber, Thomas Flynn, Stephen Fry, Malcolm Atobrah, Akshay Khanna, Aneesh Sheth, Juan Castano, Donald Sage Mackay, Sharon D. Clarke, Rachel Maddow, Bridget Benstead, Helen Minassian, Isabelle Suwan, Ben Santos
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, very watchable rom-com with strong chemistry, political fairy-tale wish fulfillment, and a knowingly sugary tone. It works best if you want escapist queer romance and don’t mind a brisk, heightened adaptation that smooths over some of the book’s edges.
Best for
viewers who like enemies-to-lovers romance
fans of upbeat queer love stories
people in the mood for aspirational, polished escapism
audiences who enjoy royal or political fantasy with a rom-com sheen
Skip if
you want subtle or naturalistic romance
you dislike heightened, very online pop-culture comedy
you need sharp political realism
you are allergic to earnest, crowd-pleasing sentiment
Overview
Red, White & Royal Blue is built to be adored: a glossy, fast-moving romance that treats political absurdity and tabloid spectacle as the runway for a very conventional love story. The movie leans hard into charm, fantasy, and chemistry, and when it clicks, it’s easy to see why it became such a crowd-pleaser.
Worth noting
Its biggest strength is the central pairing, which gives the film enough spark to sell the premise even when the plotting feels streamlined. The tone is bright and playful, with enough sincerity to keep the sweetness from curdling into parody.
Bottom line
At the same time, it’s more satisfying as a vibe than as a fully textured drama. If you want a polished, feel-good queer rom-com with royal pageantry and a big emotional payoff, it delivers. If you want complexity, bite, or realism, it may feel a little too neatly packaged.
Top Letterboxd reviews
whymark (4★) · 17730 likes
very cheesy but then again i’m a rat
manilazic (3★) · 17631 likes
The two main characters find each other’s eyes in the crowd at a party when the song “Get Low” by Lil Jon is playing and everyone else gets low to the floor. That’s one whole star right there.
1996 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 59m · R · Curator 7.8/10 (359.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
A mainstream queer comedy that pairs farce with warmth and a strong sense of crowd-pleasing fun.