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LOOKING for honest reviews on new and old movies and series? we have you covered, in this new series, Odette Parfitt has you covered and lets us know if it’s worth the stream.

Maxton Hall (2024)

Platform: Prime Video

Basic plot:

Ruby Bell is an ambitious middle-class teenager on scholarship at the prestigious Maxton Hall school. James Beaufort is the definition of white privilege. Paths cross, worlds collide, will they, won’t they? 

How it was probably pitched to the producers:

It’s Gossip Girl, but in German and Blair is broke.

Thoughts: 

Ignore my snarky Gossip Girl comment, I’m ready to call this the surprise of the season for me. 

So I first heard about this show through aggressive marketing on social media, to the point where I read up on the premise – which sounded thin and unoriginal. Then, after some more aggressive marketing in my feeds, I eventually caved and gave it a shot. 

I’d like to make the sweeping declaration that this is the enemies-to-lovers trope done right. Normally I struggle with these kinds of storylines because there is too much setup of the conflict between two characters who don’t get along, and by the time they get together, I’m irritated by it (say it with me, relationships built on drama and conflict are not healthy).

Maxton Hall does not make that mistake; the “enemies” part of the trope lasts about an episode and a half, during which James tries to intimidate, bully, seduce and humiliate Ruby into submission and she shows her complete unwillingness to go gently into that good night. Girl’s got fire. 

Obviously, there’s other stuff going on, including the world’s most horrible dad, university prepping and general teenage hijinks, but it’s not much of a spoiler to say the love story is the main storyline here. 

I have to admit, watching the first episode, I thought James would never be able to redeem himself from the absolute arrogant rich-white-boy type he plays to perfection, which is really a challenge in a love story if you don’t even like the lead. From the beginning it was clear why he would be interested in Ruby – that classic story where the boy can’t resist the first woman who is not charmed by him / can say no to him – but in the beginning I honestly couldn’t see why James would be appealing to her.

I was so happy to be proven wrong; the writers actually bothered to write them a real dynamic of two strong personalities who realise they judged each other too quickly, and then get to know each other. Though James in so many words later says he “has changed”, I think it’s more that he rewards Ruby’s refreshing honesty with his own vulnerability – and who can then blame the girl for being charmed by that?

Bottom line – is it worth the stream?

Yes, if you like romance.

Watch this if you like:

• Reading subtitles (there’s apparently a dubbed version, but I’m a purist)
• Ridiculously attractive men masquerading as unrealistic teenage boys
• Relatable teenage-girl leads
• Daddy issues
• Hot-pink school uniforms