One of the most anticipated movies this year was “Red, White, & Royal Blue” (RW&RB), an adaptation of the novel by Casey McQuiston.
McQuiston is an American author and is best known for their new adult (NA) novels that feature heartwarming stories and vast representation of LGBTQ+ characters. RW&RB was no exception to their fantastic writing style, which is easy to follow and filled with hilarious one-liners that keep you hooked.
RW&RB follows the brief rivalry and romance between Alex Claremont-Diaz, first son, and Henry, third-in-line to the British throne. To fix a disastrous situation at a public event, their PR (public relations) teams forced them to become friends. Throughout publicized meet-ups and back-and-forths between Washington D.C. and London, the two found themselves falling in love.
I read the novel version of RW&RB in 2022 and it was one of my top reads. I gave it an immediate five stars because the characters were lovable and relatable, and the book itself was just so cheesy and cute that I couldn’t help but root for Alex and Henry. McQuiston has a very specific writing style that is funny and hooks you from the start.
Book-to-movie adaptations are often underwhelming and disappointing, but RW&RB brought the elements from the novel to life and amplified McQuiston’s talent in writing.
One of my favorite things about the movie was how fantastic the cast fit into their roles. Nicholas Galitzine, who played Prince Henry, and Taylor Zakhar Perez, who played Alex, were both incredible, their chemistry was really strong! Even the background actors did great, bringing in the friendship dynamics that were found in the book.
Zahra, played by Sarah Shahi, was my favorite character in the book and I loved the way Shahi portrayed her. She was still so humorous and I was in tears laughing during all of her scenes.
I felt like the movie had a good start, quickly introducing the characters and giving the viewers a glimpse into Alex and Henry’s backgrounds. I think it’s important to have the plot introduced early on in book-to-movie adaptations because not everybody is a reader and a lot of movies draw out the beginning to the point of boredom.
RW&RB did really well taking on aspects from the book, following almost the exact same plot, where the biggest conflict was the fact that two such prominent figures were in a secret relationship. Their love was even more complicated because it was between two guys. Forbidden love is such a fun trope and seeing it in action was fun.
There were a couple of things that had me raising my eyebrows. For starters, the overall budget seemed a bit cheap. The president’s Oval Office was funky-looking as if it were a green screen and the actors were floating in front of it. Several reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes and Letterboxd said the same thing.
Still, nothing is perfect and I just love the characters too much to knock off any points. I gave the overall movie a four out of five stars because while it is enjoyable and one of the best book-to-movie adaptations I’ve seen, I can admit it wasn’t the greatest movie in the world.
One specific thing in the whole movie that I found really important was the representation. A lot of films that have LGBTQ+ characters and themes have darker stories, but “Red, White, & Royal Blue” delivered a rom-com that had a love story lots of people would admire and might even be able to relate to.
The movie was just as fun and lighthearted as the book, and I highly suggest you look into the world of Alex and Prince Henry for a cheesy, cavity-inducing romance with fun characters who need representation in the cinematic world