Mena Massoud Is a Charming Prince with Perfect Hair in Netflix’s ‘The Royal Treatment’

The Royal Treatment on Netflix is exactly what it advertises itself to be, which is to say, a predictable, cliché romantic comedy with the cheese dialed up to 11. But while the writing may leave something to be desired, The Royal Treatment has a secret weapon up its sleeve that makes it all the more watchable: the very charming Mena Massoud.

The set-up of The Royal Treatment plot is simple.  Prince Thomas (Massoud), the crowned prince of the fictional nation of Lavania, accidentally contacts a working-class, Italian-American-owned salon, rather than the fancy place he meant to book, to cut his hair while on a visit to New York City. The hairdresser sent to trim his mane is a fast-talking, loud-mouth New Yorker named Isabelle (the equally charming Laura Marano) who doesn’t hesitate to tell the prince what she thinks of his manners. Sparks fly, merriment is had, and looks are lingering. Unfortunately, the prince is engaged to be married to a woman he barely knows. You can probably guess where this is going.

Hair is something of a motif in The Royal Treatment, given Isabelle’s profession and her meet-cute with the prince, so it’s appropriate that Massoud has absolutely fantastic hair in this film. So fantastic, in fact, that it deserves several paragraphs devoted solely to those luscious locks. Of course, at the beginning of the film, his hair is horrible, but by the time Isabelle is finished with him, he looks like an ad for curly hair shampoo. This is Princess Diaries‘ levels of transformation! I know Izzy doesn’t want to be a hairdresser forever, for character development reasons, but this woman is damn good at her job.

Post-haircut Massoud’s curls are perfectly tousled, cascading down his forehead like a beautiful, attractive waterfall. No doubt there are full bottles of hair products keeping the curls looking movie-ready, but somehow, they still look as soft as sheepskin. It’s the kind of hair that is begging to have a hand run through it—a temptation that Izzy eventually gives into, which leads to the dissolution of the prince’s arranged marriage. (The bride’s mother photographed Izzy and the prince together and leaked the photos to the press, which seems like a deranged thing to do if your goal is to ensure the marriage happens, but I digress. We’re not focusing on the plot here, we’re focusing on hair.)

The face beneath the hair is good too, of course. A sculpted jawline and expressive eyes only add to the hotness, and a big, goofy grin—one that lights up whenever he sees Izzy across the royal gardens—adds to the charm. I mean, this man even makes a silly little newsboy cap—yes, like the kind they wear in Newsies—look good. That’s true power.

It goes without saying that Massoud’s appeal is more than just looks alone. He’s clearly talented, with strong instincts—he wisely tones down his delivery of some of the film’s more trite dialogue, making a ridiculous situation seem far more believable. Though the film’s climax involves Massoud quite literally dashing in to save his princess on horseback—horseback!—he even pulls that off as grounded and natural. Well, as grounded and natural as one can be on a horse, that is. And, in a movie filled with a melting pot of accents (including a particularly laughable French accent), Massoud gets a chance to show off a respectably passable New York lilt.

Massoud isn’t exactly a newcomer to Hollywood. In 2019 he starred as Aladdin in the Disney live-action remake of the beloved cartoon. Aladdin may not have gotten great reviews—most of the criticism focused on the production and direction from Guy Ritchie—but it was a box office success, and that’s a pretty big deal. Beyond that, Massoud—who was born in Egypt but grew up in Canada—had a starring role in the Canadian series Open Heart, a recurring role in the Amazon series Jack Ryan, and a starring role in the short-lived Hulu drama Reprisal. Steady work, but he’s not yet a Hollywood star. But keep your eye on this one—if The Royal Treatment is anything to go by, it’s only a matter of time before Massoud becomes the internet’s next boyfriend.

Watch The Royal Treatment on Netflix