Amazon Prime’s “Red, White, and Royal Blue” has the makings of a modern classic but poor production value, bad acting, and a cringeworthy script take away from the charming plot and heartfelt moments that viewers want in a rom-com.

The movie premiered on July 22, 2023. “Red, White, and Royal Blue” is Matthew Lopez’s directorial debut and is based on the bestselling book by Casey McQuiston. The plot follows Prince Henry of Wales– played by Nicholas Galitzine– and the U.S. president’s son, Alex– played by Taylor Zakhar Perez– on their journey from rivals to friends to lovers. While the concept is cute, the execution is dreadful. 

One of the worst things about this movie is the horrendous use of CGI backgrounds. In many scenes throughout the movie, it is obvious that the characters are standing in front of a green screen. This distracts viewers and makes the scenes feel less believable. 

At times, the acting is as atrocious as the CGI usage. The two leading actors have no chemistry which makes the scenes feel awkward and stiff. While the scenes in which Alex and Henry get to know each other should feel fun and flirty they come across as tense and hard to watch. 

The lack of background music and abundance of unfilled silences add to the uncomfortable feeling of the scenes. Additionally, clumsy line delivery and jarring pauses fill the movie with secondhand embarrassment. The actors aren’t all to blame; it’s hard to deliver a line well when the lines are as bad as these. Director Lopez also wrote the script for this film.

Lopez’s script reads like someone searched for a list of Gen Z buzzwords and tried to fit as many as possible into a two-hour time slot. Lines such as “I don’t want any beef,” “this music is so not the vibe” and “he looks like a snack” are so painfully forced that they take the viewers out of the movie and into a cringe. 

If one can ignore the bad production value, the movie can be fun to watch. The film is very heartfelt and loving, and with the overabundance of fluff and cute moments, viewers can’t help but root for the main couple. Furthermore, the use of some creative visual  techniques keeps the viewers interested. 

One such technique is the placement of both Henry and Alex in the same scene while they are talking on the phone together. The shot shows Alex lying on his bed while talking to Henry on the phone. Even though viewers know that Henry is in England, he is shown lying on Alex’s bed as well. The inclusion of them in the shot together makes their phone call seem more personal and intimate. 

Director Lopez also adds to the story through his use of news clips. Adding these shots helps remind the audience of the character’s fame and importance.

This film encourages viewers to think about bigger issues facing society.

“Red, White, and Royal Blue” asks the question: Is all representation good representation? Though no one will induct this movie into the rom-com hall of fame, it does add to the growing list of non-straight representation in romance movies, a fairly new concept. 

Most romance movies that feature LGBTQ+ main characters focus on them finding their own identities. Movies such as “Love, Simon” (2018); “Happiest Season” (2020); and “The Half of It” (2020) feature stories about discovering one’s sexuality and coming out. 

In contrast, the characters in “Red, White, and Royal Blue” are already firm in their beliefs and have strong ideas about who they are and what they like. While the movie does have scenes where the characters come out, it is not the main premise of the movie. Because of this, the film is able to explore other tropes that aren’t as commonly seen in LGBTQ+ media but are abundant in straight media. 

If the movie was done well, it would be a wonderful representation of an amusing romcom with non-straight characters. However, since it is so poorly produced, it falls into the category of movies with heaps of potential that don’t live up to their promise.

Like “13 Going on 30” (2004); “What a Girl Wants” (2003); and “Chasing Liberty” (2004), “Red, White, and Royal Blue” is another cheesy rom-coms that is fun to watch even though it is objectively bad. 

“Red, White, and Royal Blue” proves that a gay rom-com can be just as cliche, predictable, and generic as a straight one. It’s not the best representation, but at least it’s something.