Netflix’s The Royal Treatment is a clever and innovative rom-com
By Tom Soares
When it comes to romantic comedies, there’s always that feeling of gambling with our time that comes with the idea of spending a couple hours of our day watching two total strangers fall head-over-heels for each other. More often than not these stories disappoint, but sometimes the bet pays off.
Fortunately, this is the case with The Royal Treatment, a smart and charming Netflix rom-com by director Rick Jacobson (Ash vs. Evil Dead and Xena: The Warrior Princess) and writer Holly Hester (The Drew Carey Show and Ellen).
Upbeat from the very beginning, The Royal Treatment tells the story of Izzy (Laura Marano), a kind and always-happy New York hairdresser and business-woman who’s team is hired to do hair and makeup at the wedding of a certain Prince Thomas (Mena Massoud).
The prince, on the other hand, is a young royal anxious for some freedom, and his desire to be more financially responsible with the affairs of the kingdom constantly puts him at odds with his father and step-mother, both who would rather have pomp and circumstance than help their subjects with their needs.
One morning, when a microwave causes a small fire at Izzy’s Belissime Beauty Salon and she’s fined for the damages, Izzy eagerly accepts the chance of traveling to the distant land of Lavania to work at Prince Thomas’ wedding party for a hefty twenty-thousand dollars.
Lovers of romantic comedy will have much to celebrate with The Royal Treatment, one of the smartest and most interesting representatives of the genre released in quite some time. Beautiful to watch, well-paced and highly entertaining, The Royal Treatment flourishes under the unexpected partnership of two creatives who at first don’t seem to have absolutely anything in common.
While Rick Jacobson made a name for himself writing for and directing action and adventure series such as Baywatch, Holly Hester spent her career producing some of the most iconic sitcoms from the mid-90’s and early 2000’s, such as Married…with Children and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
The Royal Treatment also brings a very talented cast. Laura Marano and Mena Massoud have great chemistry together, and they seem to always keep each other on their toes as they deliver their lines in a witty and dynamic way. Meanwhile, Cameron Rhodes, Chelsie Preston Crayford and Grace Bentley-Tsibuah give very memorable performances as Prince Thomas’ tutor Walter, and Izzy’s funny co-workers and best friends, Destiny and Lola.
Additionally, the soundtrack does a great job setting the mood for the movie and helping the story move forward at a good pace.
Not trying to reinvent the wheel but making certain to modernize the rom-com genre just enough to create a fantastic impression and tell a highly entertaining story, The Royal Treatment is a delicious love movie for every age. With very solid performances by its cast and the most unlike creative partnership behind the cameras, The Royal Treatment is worth every single one of its ninety-five minutes.
The Royal Treatment is now available on Netflix.