Royalteen Review: Princess Margrethe [Netflix]

Director: Ingvild Soderlind Script: Randi Fuglehaug, Anne Gun Halvorsen Cast: Elli Rhiannon Müller Osborne (Princess Margaret), Ines Høysæter Asserson (Lena), Filip Bargee Ramberg (Arnie), Julie Agnete Vang (Queen Louise), Mathias Storhøi (Prince Kalle), Amalie Sporsheim (Ingrid) ea | Time to play: 98 minutes | Year: 2023

Royalteen: Princess Daisy It can be blamed for a lot, but it delivers on what the title promises. Princess Margrethe is not only in literally every scene: she also fills up three-quarters of the frame in most shots. Norwegian teen drama, a sequel to royalteen, brings you closer than ever to the fictional royal family. Sometimes, however, it turns out that you can only reach a certain depth by zooming out.

royalteen it mainly revolved around his brother Kalle, but in this sequel all the attention is focused on Princess Margrethe. Every second shot is a close up of her face. Elli Rhiannon Müller Osborne’s fine performance, combined with her omnipresence in the film, helps to identify with her in that sense. There are scenes where the fear, stress, and other intense emotions that come with being a teenager really kick in.

But that effect wears off when it turns out that little else happens after a dramatic start. Margrethe is already playing with banned substances at the beginning of the film and ends up in the hospital. This beginning leaves little room for intensification and because the tone should not get too dark, you can Royalteen: Princess Daisy little more than babbling. Things happen, but that doesn’t make it a story.

Margrethe’s father, the king, has been having a homosexual affair while her mother is ill. Margrethe tries to seduce the Prince of Denmark, but he refuses. Margrethe is being blackmailed by a boy who has compromising images of her, and must hold a press conference to apologize when the images of her are released. There are only a few arguments for abolishing the royal family.

In reality, the fact that Margrethe is a ‘royal teenager’ barely plays a part in the story. The filmmakers don’t seem to know what to make of it. At first, her parents are so unsympathetic they’re straight out of a Roald Dahl book. However, at the end of the movie, everything gets out of hand, because time is running out. With a single forgiveness and a hug, everyone loves each other again. The drugs disappear into the trash and the production team can start preparing for the next part.

It’s ironic that a movie about the loneliness of a famous teenager leaves actress Eli Rhiannon Müller Osborne to her own devices: apart from some very unsubtle pop songs, she carries all the drama on her own. The only positive point is how she portrays all kinds of emotions with her eyes. Maybe another teen can compile those cartoons into a YouTube or Tiktok fan video, saving her classmates the rest of the long wait.

Royalteen: Princess Daisy can be seen in Netflix.