The Enduring Allure Of The Princess Fantasy

Netflix really, really, really wanted me to watch The Princess Switch. Following two weeks of full-screen previews rolling each and every time I logged into my account, I finally succumbed. The streaming service’s algorithm clearly thought it knew me better than I know myself. We’ll see about that, I thought testily, determined to prove the Netflix Gods wrong. I pressed play. What followed was a banal yet completely charming hour and forty minutes of Christmas rom-com fluff. I am ashamed to admit, I enjoyed myself.

The Princess Switch is previously teen movie star sensation Vanessa Hudgens’ newest film, in which she plays not one but two leading roles. When American pastry chef Stacey meets her lookalike Margaret, Duchess of a Small-Made-Up-European-Country-Ending-In-‘ia’, the two agree to trade places for 48 hours. Think, The Parent Trap meets The Princess Diaries meets Freaky Friday — with a solid dose of holiday cheer thrown in for extra cheese.