Movie review
September 25, 2020 · 97 min · PG
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The movie keeps pushing girlboss rebellion the whole way through with the lead princess Sam protesting the monarchy while wearing a feminist T-shirt and becoming an empowered superhero. Diverse casting is front and center with Asian-American princesses as the Illyrian royal family, a Black prince marketed as Disney’s first live-action Black prince, and the male teacher casually mentioning his boyfriend. The story includes anti-monarchy lectures from the rebel teen but settles for parliamentary reform as the happy ending.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Secret Society of Second-Born Royals.
Woke representation / casting
Diverse ethnic cast in royal roles for a fictional European-style kingdom (Asian leads, Black prince), marketed as representation milestone; incidental gay teacher adds visible LGBTQ+ element.
Woke political dialogue
Light anti-monarchy protests and feminist T-shirt signaling from the lead.
Identity-driven story themes
Strong girl power rebel-to-hero arc for the princess, diverse underdog second-borns finding empowerment and teamwork; incidental queer rep via teacher’s boyfriend.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Protagonist questions monarchy; villain wants to end it but is stopped and queen promises parliament—mild reform, no modern activist framing on patriarchy or current identity politics.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant (original story).
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Minimal reported backlash claiming too woke; mostly absent or fringe.
Creator track record context
Director’s TV credits include diverse/progressive-leaning shows; supports mild context here.
Production
