Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Royal Treatment’ On Netflix, Where A Hairstylist with a Heart of Gold Falls for a Prince

In The Royal Treatment, now streaming on Netflix, a frazzled hair dresser with a heart of gold (Laura Marano) winds up crossing paths with a prince having a bit of an identity crisis (Mena Massoud). The two soon realize The Bronx and Lavania are two very, very different places. Much like The Princess Diaries, the royal at the center of this story must undergo a makeover of sorts and realize what’s truly important. 

THE ROYAL TREATMENT: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Isabella, or “Izzy” (Laura Marano of Austin & Ally) spends her morning commute delivering donuts and treats to her neighborhood friends as she heads into her Bronx salon. This particular morning, however, she’s greeted by smoke pouring out of the front door – her coworkers have accidentally set a fire by plugging in the microwave, curlers, and blow dryers at the same time. She puts out the fire (both physically and metaphorically) and pays off their slumlord’s greedy cohort Doug (Jay Simon) to hopefully keep the roof over their heads. Izzy, her mother (Amanda Billing) and her Nonna (Elizabeth Hawthorne), and her beloved coworkers Destiny (Chelsie Preston Crayford) and Lola (Grace Bentley-Tsibuah) all work hard to keep the salon afloat, but things remain tight. When they get a call from the posh Walter (Cameron Rhodes) booking a haircut for a foppish prince, however, things start to look up.

Izzy pays a visit to Prince Thomas (Mena Massoud, Aladdin) at his hotel and soon realizes she was booked by mistake, but embraces the situation anyway. When he doesn’t stand up for a hotel staffer when she drops a tray of tea and is berated by one of his employees, however, she walks out, refusing to finish the haircut. The two make amends when he comes to the salon to apologize (and pays up), and later, Walter books the salon as the hair and makeup for the prince’s upcoming arranged wedding. Izzy, Lola, and Destiny are flown out to Lavania, where they live it up in the castle and prepare for the big day. Innocent sparks fly between Izzy and Thomas, who bring out new things in one another as they grow closer. With his wedding drawing nearer and pressure from Thomas’s family mounting, getting to happily ever after might be a little trickier than they both hope.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Fans of movies like The Princess Diaries, A Christmas Prince, and even Maid in Manhattan will enjoy The Royal Treatment.

Performance Worth Watching: Chelsie Preston Crayford and Grace Bentley-Tsibuah steal the show as Isabella’s BFFs and coworkers Destiny and Lola, the perfect embodiment of quirky romcom best friends. They’re genuinely hilarious, leaning into goofy jokes and physical comedy that helps to offset some of the film’s corniness. It’s all you can possibly ask of this endearing duo, who are ideal down-to-earth, occasionally ditzy companions for our outspoken Italian leading lady. Coming in close second is Cameron Rhodes as Walter, the prince’s butler and confidant. He’s a delight!

Memorable Dialogue: Dialogue isn’t necessarily The Royal Treatment‘s strongest point, but delivered in Laura Marano’s endearing New York accent, many of the lines sing. An early example? “You know you’re not so bad…when you’re not actin’ like a prince!”

Sex and Skin: None.

Our Take: It’s been a minute since anything came close to offering the slightly-cheesy, warm and fuzzy feeling The Princess Diaries had to offer, but The Royal Treatment comes close. I’ll admit I was skeptical, given the trend of corny, chemistry-lacking romances that have been hitting our streaming platforms and networks as of late. Fortunately, The Royal Treatment is a little less corny and a little more heartfelt, buoyed by two charming lead performances from Laura Marano and Mena Massoud, as well as a fabulous ensemble of supporting players. The Royal Treatment surprises time and time again, avoiding tired tropes like cattiness between women (such a welcome changeup!) and paying homage to flicks like Pretty Woman and other films in its own category like The Princess Diaries and A Christmas Prince.

The Royal Treatment succeeds because it feels like it exists in the same world as The Princess Diaries, set in a non-accent specific fictional country, armed with a lovable cast of royal staff members, and centered around a plucky leading lady who won’t let her sparkle be dulled by anyone. The choice to have the prince undergo a makeover of sorts is also a refreshing one, even if we’ve seen the coddled rich boy learn about the simpler things from a girl from the wrong side of the tracks more than a few times before. The in Marano’s eyes and Massoud’s heart-melting smile prove quickly that the two are a match made in romcom heaven, giving us a couple we can really root for. Where other recent attempts at fairytale reversals often fail to be as progressive as they intend, The Royal Treatment delivers a story that feels fresh and heartfelt, offering a happy ending and the kind of joyous distraction we could use more of these days.

Our Call: STREAM IT. The Royal Treatment is a delightful surprise, armed with a sweet story and some charming performances from its two young leads.

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines, hogging the mic at karaoke, and thirst-tweeting. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.