Royalteen

I didn't read the book this was based on so I'm not sure if it's a good adaptation but as it is... it's not really great.

I watched totally blind expecting it to be a light hearted royalty teen romcom similar to "Prince and Me" or "Royal Treatment" but it wasn't (not necessarily a bad thing!). I was surprised to see them add in more delicate topics a teenager may face. It wasn't some masterpiece twist but it does at least separate its characters from the usual. They have high consequence actual flaws and issues like dealing with social stigma... it's not just sunshine and rainbows.

However the execution of everything was lackluster. Pacing was horrible. Instead of focusing on the whole of the story they chose to highlight the "romance" part that it overshadowed the struggles of the characters because it was all about the romance that was basically non-existent here because they didn't really give it time to mature and create chemistry. They just fell in love for some reason after like bumping into each other? You can't build a good romance without foundation. They even addressed the deeper issues that made the whole plot better so flippantly...it's just disappointing.

This would have been better as a limited series of sort to really delve into the characters' struggles, why they act they way they do, so you can actually empathize with them while the romance is a B-plot to create that slow burn. But alas this wasn't it.

This had the makings of a good film, with a refreshing view of a royal/commoner romance, and a likable cast.

It felt a little bit like the UK TV series Sex Education, except there's no comedy.

Unfortunately there are substantial flaws.

The romance commenced too quickly, and everything in the story seemed rushed. The conclusion left unresolved story arcs aplenty (i.e. The queen, the princess, Lena's unrevealed history, the mystery uploader) as if this is part one of a dilogy or trilogy. However I am not aware of any impending sequels.

I still enjoyed it until the unsatisfactory ending.

I have read the books and this film follows book 1 closely. It was so similar to how I imagined it when I read the book, so well done there! I recommend seeing it, but keep in mind that not everything is tied up in the end. This might have worked better as a TV series. It sort of felt like episode 1, and I imagine it would be a bit annoying to watch this and not know what happens next already.

That said, the scenery is beautiful, the actors are believable and good - nice to see actual teenagers play roles their age! If you liked Young Royals or Skam, this a movie for you. I really hope they continue this and make movies of the next books, too.

Too much at once. They just skipt everything important, like where did all this come from. It was like the writer really wanted every teen romance movies in one movie. I would have been better if it was a series and not a 2 hour film.

This would have been really good as a TV show, but as a movie it ended in such a wierd way, way to soon. The way it built up, and the way it ended was just like an episode 1 of a TV show.