Like the rap-mouthed crown princess, who has slept on a pea or two, the big bet “Royalteen” doesn’t put anything between the lines. It is a family saga about young blue Norwegian blood that spans two Netflix hours. The film is based on “Half the Kingdom” — the first book in the novel series by Anne Gunn Halvorsen and Randi Fuglehaug. The books have already triggered a bidding war abroad and sold fat. It is not the least bit strange when they have been referred to as a “royal “Shame””.
It is a reference the film bears the stamp of – the level of ambition and the references are close to “Shame” and other inspired youth series. What was special about “Skam” was that the “high school” drama was portrayed with a very special reality for young people’s everyday lives and games of intrigue. That realism falls away a little in these settings — whether it’s among bitchy girl gangs at school or with the prince on a yacht. Especially the drama and the lines become a bit too stilted and caricatured – it doesn’t always seem like a glimpse into a possible reality. But it can still be adventurous! And fun it is, “Royalteen” is populated by exquisite actors with cinematography of international class – which is sure to convince many young viewers.
Juicy sex and unbridled desire
Children of their time
Blue blood flows like a wide river in popular culture. Yet we look more often to the dusty monarchs than to their children. The oldest ones are included here, but they take up less space. The queen and the king are adults and somehow do not live in the same world as the children, Margrethe (Eli Müller Osborne) and Karl Johan (Mathias Storhøi). They are weighed down as much by the family’s honor as by school stress and the danger of being suspended on Instagram. In an age where every mobile phone is a potential paparazzi.
The Twilight Formula
Lena (Ines Høysæter Asserson) has started a new high school in Oslo. She has left Horten, but is still haunted by local feuds. She starts in a big class, but it’s a little different, a little screened off from the rest. “The royals need stability,” jokes Prince Kalle. Actually, his name is something like Karl Johan.
When the hottie dumps into the seat next to Lena in the classroom, we realize that the film follows the “Twilight” formula. A handsome fellow who takes an interest in a newcomer – and here critical voices would say a very normal, even a bit boring girl. The Lena character could quickly become flat, like Bella Swan, but is played with unusual flair and sympathetic empathy by Asserson. In 2019, she was Amanda-nominated for the lead role in “Harajuku”, aged just 18. There was good reason for that.
In the gradually more heated relationship with the prince, she becomes the emotional center of the film. He, on the other hand, is more of a classic hunk, yes, the very image of a “prince”: A straight, steadfast and, in the long run, boring guy with a pretty facade that doesn’t exactly burst with interest. But which Lena will get to the bottom of.
Being young is too damn good
Rarely ambitious
Director Per-Olav Sørensen has chosen a salable premise that depicts the biggest class journey of them all (and it begins in a classroom). About a girl who falls in love with a royal and takes a parachute jump into the royal sphere. A prince story usually begins with the fateful meeting. This film gets straight to the point, but could establish more of Lena’s life without resorting to dramatic flashbacks. It’s a big budget film, it’s fast, pretty and effective. But it comes with an emotional cost.
Interestingly, the premise is close to reality. It wasn’t long ago that a teenager snuck into the castle and the paparazzi prowled the bushes. We have our own royal family – who have done whimsical things such as selling Louis Vuitton suitcases on finn.no from Slottsplassen 1. If not for that example, the film would have reached new heights if it allowed itself to joke and make some points. Apart from some deliciously daring intimate scenes, the film meanders predictably like a soldier in front of the castle.
Beautiful pictures and solid acting notwithstanding – “Royalteen” will have a large and certainly also an international audience, but some of us – myself included – find it a little too soapy and easy to be completely convinced. I am left with the impression that it will be a little too American, a little too “set” for a youth series. But maybe it’s perfect – and even made – for the teenagers across the pond. You just have to taste the English-Norwegian title: “Royalteen: Arvingen”.
