Tech Savvy Romeo & Juliet Is Worth Giving A “Like”
by Travis Hopson | Punch Drunk Critics
I don’t know if every generation deserves their own version of Romeo and Juliet, but they damn sure seem to keep getting them. In the case of Carey Williams’ inventive, wholly expected R#J, the film images of Shakespeare’s tragic love story were a product of the Gen Z era, with a passionate tale of doomed lovers told through Instagram stories, tweets, TikTok, and Facetime. It makes for a propulsive, melodramatic effort that is stymied only by the technology itself which does much as it does in real life, which makes it hard to find a genuine connection.
An unexpected entry in the Screenlife genre enthusiastically supported by producer Timur Bekmambetov (Unfriended, Searching), R#J is told almost entirely through the lens of social media apps. The dialogue lifts faithfully, for the most part, from Shakespeare’s text with the occasional modern reference and shorthand. It’s a flashy, energetic effort that captures the current “all eyes on me” mood: if you didn’t post it, did it really happen?
The story beats remain mostly the same, too. Cameron Engels plays Romeo, a Verona native who captures his life in a series of Instagram posts shared to his many friends, family, and followers. The Montague clan he’s a part of seem to have their own unique fan base, one in strict competition with the enemy Capulets. Described by his pals as “emo”, and for very good reason, Cameron longs for Rosaline, who keeps ghosting him. He texts, and she doesn’t respond, but she’s definitely online and keeping her followers happy. Time to get the hint.
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