Royalteen
By Jennifer Green,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Unlikely teen romance has language, sex, and partying.
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Royalteen
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What's the Story?
Lena (Ines Hoysaeter Asserson) has relocated to Oslo with her family at the start of ROYALTEEN. She's about to attend her first day of school in a local academy where her classmates will include the crown prince, Karl Johan, or Kalle (Mathias Storhoi), and his twin sister Margrethe (Elli Rhiannon Muller Osborne). Lena has secrets from her past that torment her and cause her to feel like an outsider. But the prince takes a liking to her and the two start an unexpected romance that will force them both to confront their pasts.
Is It Any Good?
This romance capitalizes on audience fascination for both royalty and teenagers, but it does so in a slightly more authentic way than a lot of current teen-targeted fare. The natural, vulnerable lead performances from Hoysaeter Asserson and Storhoi and the Norwegian setting make Royalteen a watchable romantic drama despite its formulaic -- regular girl meets prince -- tale, based on the first book in a popular Norwegian series. Royal-watchers might look for parallels with the real-life Norwegian monarchy.
The film also offers a take on defining privacy and overcoming past mistakes for a generation raised online. Hoysaeter Asserson is especially convincing as Lena, a young woman with a past she's ashamed of and a middle-class family with mixed feelings about the monarchy. Most of the characters feel closer to believable bounds of behavior and attitudes than in many teen movies today. The ending is questionable and feels a little rushed by comparison, but it does leave the door open to a sequel.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the royal family in Royalteen compares with others you've seen in films, and how the girl-meets-prince concept is done differently here.
The film is set in Oslo. Where could you go for more information about the Norwegian royal family? Are there any similarities with the one in this film?
What role does social media play in the lives of these teens?
Were you surprised by Lena's secret? Why did she keep it hidden?
Was the teen drinking and drug use realistic? Were there consequences for this behavior? Why does it matter?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: August 17, 2022
- Cast: Ines Hoysaeter Asserson , Mathias Storhoi , Elli Rhiannon Muller Osborne
- Directors: Per-Olav Sorensen , Emilie Beck
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Romance
- Topics: High School
- Run time: 108 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 17, 2023
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