Some people pack away Christmas with the ornaments. I keep mine queued on Netflix, complete with accents, chaos, and Vanessa Hudgens multiplied in The Princess Switch.
I have a confession to make, and no, it is not that I still say “Happy New Year” well into the third week of January. It is worse. I am still watching Christmas rom-coms. Voluntarily. With intent. With snacks. And at the very top of my festive comfort hierarchy sits the Princess Switch trilogy, glittering smugly like a bauble that refuses to be boxed away.
Everyone has that one holiday binge they return to like clockwork. For some, it is Love Actually. For others, it is Home Alone marathons until the walls start quoting Kevin McCallister back at them. For me, it is watching Vanessa Hudgens talk to herself in increasingly unhinged European accents while pretending this is all perfectly normal behaviour. I do not make the rules. I just follow the vibes.
What makes the Princess Switch trilogy special is not that it is revolutionary cinema. It absolutely is not. What it is, though, is comforting, predictable, and just chaotic enough to feel like a warm hug delivered via mistaken identities, royal protocols, and bakeries that somehow bankroll entire monarchies. Each film leans into a different genre flavour while keeping the rom-com soul intact, and that evolution is half the fun.
Yes, it is January. Yes, the holidays are technically over. But joy does not run on a calendar, and neither does my Netflix queue. If anything, January is when we need these films most. The sparkle. The silliness. The reminder that problems can be solved with a heartfelt speech and a conveniently timed kiss.
So here it is. My love letter to the Princess Switch trilogy. Seasonal? Questionable. Necessary? Deeply.
The first Princess Switch was peak cheesy rom-com excellence.
Let us start where all great chaos begins. The Princess Switch is the blueprint, the mother, the moment. This film knows exactly what it is doing, and it does not pretend otherwise. It takes the classic rom-com formula, sprinkles it generously with Christmas magic, then says, “What if we simply… swapped people?”
We meet Stacy, a Chicago baker with a heart of gold and a wardrobe that screams practical competence. Then we meet Margaret, a duchess with royal posture and a yearning for normalcy. They look identical. Naturally, the only logical solution is to swap lives for a few days. As one does. The fact that nobody questions this beyond a mild eyebrow raise is part of the charm. Logic is not invited to this party. Only vibes are.
This film is unapologetically cheesy, and that is its greatest strength. The romance arcs are straightforward, the stakes are low, and the predictability is comforting rather than boring. You know exactly where it is going, and you are delighted to be right. It is cinematic hot chocolate. Warm, sweet, and impossible to mess up.
What truly sells it is the sincerity. The movie believes in itself so hard that you cannot help but believe too. The fake accents are committed. The set design looks like Christmas threw up everywhere, in a good way. And the romance feels earned in that soft, old-school rom-com manner where emotional connection actually matters.
This is the film I put on when I want to feel safe. When I want the world to make sense for 100 minutes. When I want to remember a time when the biggest problem in life was falling over a horse and then skillfully riding 2 minutes later.
The sequel walked so closure could run.
Now we talk about The Princess Switch: Switched Again, also known as the film that did not need to exist but absolutely had to. This is the middle child of the trilogy, and like all middle children, it is misunderstood.
Is it a little forced? Yes. Does it feel like the plot was reverse-engineered from the question “But what if we did it again?”Also yes. But here is the thing. We needed this film. Emotionally. Spiritually. Legally, perhaps.
This sequel leans heavily into continuation territory. The novelty of the switch is no longer novel, so the film compensates by doubling down on drama. Relationships are tested. Responsibilities weigh heavier. And yet, at its core, it still clings to the rom-com heartbeat that made the first film work.
Kevin and Margaret’s arc is the real reason this movie exists, and frankly, I respect the commitment. Their relationship needed resolution, and the film delivers it with earnestness, even if the journey there is slightly wobbly. Not every sequel can be groundbreaking. Some are simply there to tie emotional loose ends, and that is OK.
There is also something comforting about watching characters you already know muddle through new problems. It feels like checking in on old friends. Slightly awkward, occasionally unnecessary, but comforting all the same. The sequel may not sparkle as brightly, but it keeps the trilogy grounded in emotional continuity.
Think of this film as the palate cleanser. Not the star of the show, but essential to the overall experience. You do not skip it. You endure it lovingly.
The third film said “what if crime, but festive?”
And then came The Princess Switch: Romancing the Star, which looked at the previous films and said, “Actually, let’s go feral.” Suddenly, we are in heist territory. Suddenly, relics are being stolen. Suddenly, Fiona steps into the spotlight with the confidence of someone who knows they are the most interesting person in the room.
This film is unhinged in the best possible way. It abandons subtlety entirely and embraces chaos with open arms. The genre shift should not work. And yet, somehow, it does. The rom-com bones are still there, but they are wrapped in capers, disguises, and redemption arcs.
Fiona’s redemption is the emotional core of this film, and it is surprisingly well done. She is messy, morally grey, and deeply entertaining. Watching her find her footing adds depth to a trilogy that could have easily stayed surface-level. It is growth, but make it festive.
The heist elements inject fresh energy into the franchise. The stakes feel higher, the pacing is snappier, and the absurdity reaches new heights. By this point, the films fully accept that realism left the building two movies ago, and they are better for it.
This is the film I did not know I needed. It is bold, ridiculous, and self-aware enough to pull it off. If the first film is a cosy blanket and the second is emotional housekeeping, the third is a glitter bomb of joy.
Why this trilogy lives rent-free in my January heart.
The Princess Switch trilogy is not about cinematic perfection. It is about comfort. It is about tradition. It is about letting yourself enjoy things that are silly, sparkly, and entirely unnecessary. Especially in January, when the world feels grey and motivation is a myth.
These films remind me that joy does not need justification. That favourite things do not expire with the season. That sometimes, the best form of self-care is pressing play on something familiar and letting it carry you for a while.
So yes, I am watching Christmas movies in January. Yes, I am defending them passionately. And no, I will not be stopping anytime soon. If you are too, visit my festive lil’ corner: Niamat Dhillon at HCMUJ.
Some traditions are meant to be broken. Others are meant to be replayed.
Long live the switch.