‘Red, White and Royal Blue’ rave reviews: Prime Video’s #1 movie is ‘endearing,’ ‘aspirational’ and one ‘doozy’ of a rom-com

Vincent Mandile
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On August 11, 2023, Amazon Prime Video released “Red, White & Royal Blue,” which quickly became the streamer’s most-watched film worldwide. Certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an audience score of 94%, the critics consensus reads, “Amusing and endearing, ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ is a cheerfully formulaic rom-com that embraces inclusion without falling back on stereotypes.”

In his directorial debut, Matthew Lopez helms the film based on Casey McQuiston‘s bestselling novel. Taylor Zakhar Perez plays Alex Claremont-Diaz, the son of American President Ellen Claremount (Uma Thurman). His feud with Britain’s Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) threatens to drive a wedge in U.S./British relations, and the two are forced into a staged truce that sparks something deeper. Read our full review round-up below.

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Brian Lowry of CNN states, “Aspirational in its progressive politics, the Amazon movie is a polished and unforced adaptation of Casey McQuiston’s bestselling novel that wears its heart on its red, white and (royal) blue sleeve…Like many screen romances, the attraction is only as good as the impediments thrown at the couple, and in this case, those are a doozy.”

Drew Gillis of AV Club writes, “’Red, White & Royal Blue,’ ultimately, isn’t revolutionary. It’s more traditional than not—which means, thankfully, that it’s still a lot of fun.” Gillis continues, “Although the story is nominally split between Alex and Henry, it’s the former’s narrative that stands front and center—disappointingly, as Henry’s situation has far higher stakes. Alex is a public figure for at least the next four years; Henry has been one since birth. Alex, bisexual, has a more or less painless time coming to terms with his sexuality and sharing his identity with his Democrat parents. Henry’s family—the British Royal family—confronts him about his relationship with Alex in a climactic scene, where the main issue raised is that the British people won’t accept a gay prince. But as much as The Crown’is beholden to public perception, they’re also beholden to something far less fluid: a bloodline.”

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Fred Topel of United Press International says, “As a politician from Texas, Thurman’s Texas accent is jarring. She is a good mom though, prioritizing her son over her campaign … But, the heart of ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ is sound. It’s encouraging to watch people stand up for their love, and there’s fun to be had along the way.”

Matthew Jacobs of TV Guide notes, “’Red, White & Royal Blue’ occupies an awkward middle ground: too pat to be sophisticated but too evocative to be infantilizing.” He adds, “What starts as a peppy bauble becomes weighted with political heft. Eventually the film loses its sense of fun, lumbering toward a predictable finish line. Like other recent gay rom-coms — see: ‘Bros’ and the Netflix series ‘Heartstopper’ — ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ is saddled with the burden of representation.”

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