a princely romance that royally lacks personality

On the platforms, there are countless films adapted from novels that are a hit. Among these successes, we obviously find many romantic comedies for teens such as To all the boys I’ve loved, Our bruised hearts, Through my window or more recently Against the direction which will even have two sequels on Prime Video. My Dear F***ing Prince, which comes out this Friday August 11, 2023 on the Amazon platform, could well take the same path. It was in 2019 that the phenomenon was born with the publication of the novel of the same name, by Casey McQuiston. Praised by critics for its portrayal of a gay relationship and for its endearing characters, the book even landed on the much-watched New York Times bestseller list. Acquired by Amazon Studios for a film adaptation even before the book’s release, Red, White and Royal Blue now comes to life with Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine in the lead roles.

My Dear F***ing Prince : what is this romantic comedy about?

Alex Claremont-Diaz is not only a brilliant law student: he is also the son of the President of the United States. Sent to England for a princely wedding, Alex finds himself embroiled in an incident with Prince Henry, whom he has hated since their first meeting. The info leaked in the press and is debated on social networks. To avoid a diplomatic conflict between the two countries, Alex and Henry must pretend that they are very good friends. From hatred to attraction, there is only one step… The prince and the student will then embark on a passionate but hidden story.

My Dear F***ing Prince : more than a teenage romance

In recent years, queer romantic comedies have also often become teen series. Young Royals, Love, Victor or Heartstopper lifted the heart – or brought tears to tears – to viewers around the world. My Dear F***ing Prince It also starts out as a (bad) teen movie. When we meet Alex and Henry, the two have already crossed paths and have not left the best of memories. This time, they find themselves at the center of yet another argument that ends in the most unlikely way possible: a wedding cake that falls on the two best enemies. If this launch may seem a bit cliché and ridiculous, the sequel turns out to be more mature, much to our relief. Since it features older characters – although their age is not mentioned in the film – the plot of Red, White and Royal Blue therefore wants to be more adult… even if it means being much less fun.

Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine, an endearing duo

Even if certain situations that the two heroes are confronted with sometimes seem improbable, the story unfolds at a steady pace and there is no time to get bored, and this is largely thanks to the two main actors. Seen both on Netflix, Taylor Zakhar Perez (Marco in Kissing Booth 2 et 3) and Nicholas Galitzine (Luke in Our bruised hearts) form a convincing and endearing duo. Alex’s teasing side counterbalances Henry’s serious, even depressive side, and the chemistry between the two stars works. Facing them, some other actors unfortunately seem to do extras like Rachel Hilson or Sarah Shahi (Sex/Life), which still gives us some very funny punchlines. In the end more romantic than comic, My Dear F***ing Prince will certainly convince fans of the genre. Even if we sometimes have the impression of being faced with a TV movie (the fault of certain special effects that sting the eyes), the touching and hopeful story of Alex and Henry puts balm in our hearts. Nevertheless, the film leaves us with a feeling of incompleteness, of untapped potential. A cute romance, therefore, but which lacks personality and a little spark to make the difference and totally seduce us.