PUBLISHED February 9th, 2022 05:00 am | UPDATED July 25th, 2024 02:30 pm
It’s the month of loooove, and if you’re a sucker for pasta, dancing, and cheesy love stories, this new Netflix Original rom-com should be right up your alley. A city-chic take on the classic Cinderella transformation, The Royal Treatment follows a spunky blue-collar American-Italian girl who floods the monotonous life (and the heart!) of an uppity prince with love. One of Netflix’s most-viewed chart-toppers in the last week, this rom-com is ideal comfort fuel for this Valentine’s.
The modern-day fairytale kicks off as all great things do: by accident. A butler accidentally calls a humble salon in New York, helmed by an optimistic female hairdresser, Isabella (played by Laura Marano). As you might expect, things go awry with mishaps and botched first impressions between Isabella and the prince. Even so, Isabella’s charm and hairdressing skills land herself a once-in-a lifetime opportunity as a hair and makeup artist for the Prince’s wedding.
As sparks start to fly between the two protagonists, the concept of love and duty being clashing against each other like tectonic plates. Will the prince marry a rich Texas darling to put his country out of debt, or will he choose love for Isabella instead?
If you’re looking for an ingenious movie to knock your socks off with its originality, let us warn you – skip this one. The narrative follows a relatively predictable happily-ever-after trajectory, with the usual – albeit entertaining – twist and turns. If you’re familiar with the many Disney movies and rom-com chick flicks that have come before it, you’ll know how this one turns out.
That said, there’re reasons why this rom-com is currently topping Netflix’s ‘most viewed’ charts. For one, the wholesome film captures the lively essence of Italians in a very endearing manner – filled with dancing, lots of spaghetti, and a heartwarming sense of community and togetherness.
The chemistry between the cast also felt natural and compelling. The love between the couple was given plenty of airtime to grow, through bonding activities, heart-to-heart conversations, and encounters with each other’s perspective on life. Love aside, other relationships in the film were just as uplifting, particularly the fatherly relationship between the prince and his butler. Meanwhile, the relationship between Isabella’s two colleagues and Madame Fabre, the royal family’s uptight French assistant, had us smiling and giggling.
Mena Massoud’s portrayal of Prince Thomas also impressed with its many layers. From a naive, handsome face – one who didn’t know anything about his nation or his family’s financials – to a leader of a country who wanted to do justice for his people, his transformation was rewarding to see. Meanwhile, Laura Marano’s innocent Isabella brought us back to our childhood and the nostalgia of watching her on Disney Channel. Something we appreciated as well was that the rich girl bethrothed to Prince Thomas, Lauren LaMott (played by Phoenix Connolly) was not made out to be a villain – simply a girl with modern ambitions of being a businesswoman.
As the movie comes close to the end, it becomes almost apparent that there might be a sequel, waiting in the shadows. (Indeed, rumours of The Royal Treatment 2 are already flying thick and fast.) Director Rick Jacobson as well as screenwriter Holly Hester seem to have left many mysteries of the story still untold.
How can one wrong phone call turn the life of a girl upside down? Feel-good and easy-to-watch, The Royal Treatment is perfect for chilling out with your partner on Valentine’s Day or for a sleepover with your gal pals.
The Royal Treatment is available for streaming on Netflix.
All photos courtesy of Netflix