Almost all of my family and friends know that I am a sucker for this subgenre of romance movies. For years, I have watched a lot of these kinds of films from Hallmark and most recently, Netflix.
So, when my good friend Niña came across this video of YouTuber Jack Douglass discussing the “terrifying world of ‘Princess Christmas’ movies,” she knew I had some thoughts on this matter.
First off, I actually agree with everything Douglass had to say about these movies, especially on the following points:
– These kinds of movies revolve around three plots, namely the “ordinary woman becomes a princess,” “a princess pretends to be an ordinary woman,” and “a princess and an ordinary woman swap places.”
– The names of these movies sound similar (if not the same).
– All of the royal romances take place in imaginary countries that all sound the same–citing examples like “Belgravia,” “Aldovia,” and “Maldovia.”
– The Prince always seems to have a “pronounced english accent.”
– How these kinds of movies use the same actors and actresses in other films that feature the same plot.
He even makes a valid point in saying how strange it is to know that even though these movies follow the same formula, they manage to become franchises–citing the Christmas Prince films as an example.
With all of this in mind, you, as a viewer of his video, would even start to wonder, why would anyone want to watch these films after knowing this?
Now, I can’t speak for everyone… but as someone who has seen many of these holiday royal romance movies (and would probably continue to watch them in the future), what entices me is its predictability, overall feel-good vibe, and Christmas spirit.
From the get go, I can already tell many of the things that are going to happen in these kinds of movies. For instance, I know there will almost always be some grand ball wherein the prince will be left in awe over the girl’s appearance or that the prince will always choose the “normal girl” over his betrothed.
But it’s this cliched storyline that keeps me interested because there is a certainty that it will always end in a “happily ever after.” And in this world where anything can go wrong, it’s nice to watch something that promises a happy ending.
Moreover, these are the kind of feel-good movies that won’t leave you stressed or worried about the characters. Since it’s predictable, you won’t have to agonize about the girl not getting the guy or of someone dying during the course of the film. It’s almost like the ideal kind of thing to watch when you are tired from work or household errands and you just want to relax.
Lastly, it features a picture-perfect version of the holidays, where everyone is happy and together. And I am guessing this is almost everyone’s ideal scenario when it comes to Christmas.
So, before you write off holiday royal romance films, I recommend you try watching a few of them first. You never know, you might even end up actually enjoying them!
C. Militar Writes 