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A Royal Christmas Crush
Movie

A Royal Christmas Crush

2023 • Romance

Woke Score
2
out of 10

Plot

Ava accepts the opportunity of a lifetime to work at the Royal Ice Hotel which leads her to a surprise whirlwind romance with the most important guest of all, the Royal Prince himself.

Overall Series Review

The movie follows Ava Jensen, an American architect, who travels to a fictional Nordic kingdom to help her uncle build a royal ice castle. There, she begins a whirlwind romance with Prince Henry. The plot centers on the class conflict between Ava, the talented commoner, and the scheming Director of Logistics and her daughter, who attempt to derail the romance to secure their own family's nobility. The narrative is a straightforward, formulaic royal romance that emphasizes character merit and traditional coupling over progressive political themes. The movie briefly touches on the Prince's desire to be a 'new type of royal' and Ava's work on 'sustainable housing,' suggesting a mild update to the traditional monarchy, but the core focus remains on the love story and overcoming petty aristocratic villainy. The cast is all white, and the setting celebrates the fictional kingdom's traditional Christmas practices. No explicit political or social lectures dominate the story.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics1/10

The conflict is based on class and social standing (American commoner versus royalty/aristocracy) and individual character, not race or intersectional hierarchy. The main characters, heroes and villains, are all white. Character success is determined by merit and intentions, which scores very low.

Oikophobia2/10

The film does not frame the Western institution of the monarchy or the home culture as fundamentally corrupt or racist. The conflict is with scheming individuals within the aristocracy, not the institution itself. The Prince expresses a desire to be a 'new type of royal' interested in changing the world, which is a mild critique of outdated traditions but shows gratitude for his position, landing the score low.

Feminism3/10

The female lead, Ava, is an accomplished 'architectural genius' who pursues a career and a progressive project (sustainable housing). This leans toward the 'Girl Boss' trope, but her main goal is a romantic relationship. The Prince is a conventional, handsome male lead who is not depicted as incompetent or toxic. The ultimate goal is a complementary male-female pairing, keeping the score moderate.

LGBTQ+1/10

The narrative focuses exclusively on the traditional male-female romantic pairing and the nuclear family as the standard. There is no presence of alternative sexualities, gender ideology, or deconstruction of the nuclear family unit. Sexuality remains private and normative.

Anti-Theism1/10

The movie is centered on a Christmas celebration and features a scene in a chapel. Faith is neither a source of conflict nor a focus for hostility. The morality presented is a traditional, objective battle between honest, good people and conniving, bad people, avoiding moral relativism.