Look, just like the memorable movies in the Netflix Christmas cinematic universe, there are more than a few things that do not make sense in The Royal Treatment. Starting with the look of Lavania, which I assume is next to Aldovia and across from Montenaro. But, unlike in Brazen, Netflix’s attempt at a mystery thriller series that does an adequate job but falls flat at times, The Royal Treatment manages exactly the same thing the Netflix Christmas movies do.
It’s charming enough that we just want to ignore common sense.
There’s really nothing groundbreaking about it. There’s a Prince. He’s engaged to someone he doesn’t love — or know, really. There’s a girl, she could have been a baker or a journalist, but this time she’s a hair stylist. She ends up going to the remote country the Prince is from, the reason doesn’t quite matter. And she falls in love there. With the Prince, with the place, with the people. And the Prince, well, the Prince falls in love with her too.
Except, of course, there are issues. Like, the upcoming wedding. Oh yes, and the fact that the King and Queen basically bankrupted his country. But that’s neither here nor there. And I don’t say that just because I personally don’t care, no. I say that because the movie doesn’t care, so why should we?
This is about the love story. We didn’t sign up for a story about modernizing the Royal House of Lavania, we signed up for a cheesy, slightly nonsensical rom-com. And that’s exactly what The Royal Treatment is, and then some
By some I, of course, mean some fun supporting characters, and a real attempt, or as real as you can get in about ninety minutes, of showcasing both supportive female friendships and relationships between men who aren’t related to each other, but who care about each other nonetheless. Yes, I’m talking about the Prince and Walter. Walter is the best.
If The Royal Treatment works, however, it’s mostly because Laura Marano and Mena Massoud work. Massoud should have become a household name after Aladdin, and the fact that he didn’t will forever haunt me, but I will absolutely pay for about 83 more rom-coms where he gets to flash that smile. Seriously, that’s a criminal smile, and when you pair that with the fact that he can act, and he is very good at “the look,” then you’ve got quite a Prince Charming..
Marano is equally as good as an Izzy who could be annoying, she’s so much, all the time, but never actually is. She also gets to bring out her Italian roots in a way that makes her so much more relatable, even if I have not a drop of Italian in me. Authenticity makes a movie better, what can I say?
And chemistry, well, chemistry seals the deal. Marano and Massoud have that in spade, and they are a large part of the reason that, even when The Royal Treatment is borderline absurd, it’s still charming enough that we don’t want to look away.
The Royal Treatment is available to stream on Netflix.
