Romantic comedies are an endangered species in Hollywood. They still exist, but not to the extent they once did and they are certainly not as revered. When Harry Met Sally, Clueless, You’ve Got Mail, and even Knocked Up — these timeless classics are, to a large extent, relics. And if you throw in gay romantic comedies, it’s even worse. There are only a few that manage to avoid stereotypes, heteronormative narratives, or just being plain bad.
So, imagine the excitement when Casey McQuiston’s highly popular romance novel, Red, White & Royal Blue, winner of Goodread’s Best Romance category in 2019, was announced to be in development at Prime Video. The adaptation was announced in the same year as the book’s release, and over the next three years, Matthew López was brought on as the director, with Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine cast as the two main leads, Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry.
The movie was released on Prime Video on August 11th, receiving an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score and generating double the online buzz. The sizzling chemistry between the main leads and its controversial R-rating proved that the desire for rom-coms, especially steamy gay ones, is still alive, despite what Hollywood may think.
What is the plot for Red, White & Royal Blue?
Red, White & Royal Blue encompasses the classic enemies-to-lovers trope, but with an LGBTQ+ twist that brings a much-needed modern fairy tale to queer cinema.
The story begins with Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez), the President of the United States’ first son, attending a royal wedding in Britain as a representative of the U.S. There, he meets Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine), the groom’s younger brother, whom Alex despises for being “smug,” “entitled,” and the “world’s rudest person.” After a verbal argument turns physical, the two end up covered in the newlyweds’ wedding cake, which they accidentally toppled over.
To repair the resulting PR disaster, Alex’s mother, President Ellen Claremont (Uma Thurman), and the Royal Family agree on a joint solution: Alex and Prince Henry must pretend to be friends in public to rehabilitate their images. The former enemies are forced to display a fake friendship through a series of public appearances.
However, when Prince Henry unexpectedly kisses Alex at a New Year’s Eve party, Alex begins to explore his bisexuality. This leads the pair to embark on a new mission: maintaining a platonic friendship in public while engaging in a secret “friends with benefits” relationship behind closed doors. But their emotions reach new heights when an unexpected turn of events puts their families’ reputations at risk.
Like its source material, Red, White & Royal Blue won’t leave you shedding tears, but it will make you smile and laugh. Gay love doesn’t always have to be dramatic and address the harsh realities of being gay in a straight world. Just like their heterosexual counterparts, gay rom-coms can be light-hearted, silly, cheesy, and even unrealistic. The fact that Red, White & Royal Blue embodies all of those qualities, and more, is a testament to how far we’ve come. And the fact that it pulls it off successfully is the cherry on top. For that reason alone, it’s definitely worth watching.
Red, White & Royal Blue is currently available for streaming on Prime Video.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
