As the new Shakespeare inspired movie on Rosaline came out October 2022, fans of poetry, Shakespeare rushed to watch it from the comfort of their couches. Rosaline provides an insight to her as she chases after lead-character Romeo, and tries to win him back after being replaced by Juliet. The movie is filmed in one of the most aesthetically pleasing and romantic places: Siena, Italy. It’s said the entire movie was filmed in Siena, including the castles that make up the setting. Distributed by 20th Century Fox, it took around 17 months to film and was produced by Shawn Levey, Dan Cohen, and Dan Levine. 

Rosaline, the niece of Lord Capulet, is only briefly mentioned in Shakespeare’s original play. However, in this movie, she is the main character, and a very independent woman who doesn’t seem to let anything get in her way. She is rebellious and free-spirited. While this movie is based on Shakespere’s original Romeo and Juliet, it has a very different outcome than the original play and has a modern twist added to it even though it still takes place in the 1500s. Almost every character except Romeo and Juliet speak using modern language and slang, adding an ironic and comical factor that makes Romeo seem like a shallow and silly person. The movie starts with Rosaline and Romeo still in a relationship — differing from the play’s original plot which starts with Romeo and Rosaline already broken up. 

The film also adds a few differences to their dynamic. This goes to show that in the new movie, Romeo isn’t a good guy; he completely abandons Rosaline when he sets eyes on Juliet. Rosaline really struggles trying to get Romeo back and meets a young man along the way whose name is Dario. Dario Sean Teale had many fans drooling over him as he stole the show with his charming appearance. Throughout the movie they project a strong “enemies to lovers” theme, constantly bickering and insulting each other. Dario is handsome, selfless and caring, and seems to be truly enamored with Rosaline, but she can’t see this perfectly good man right in front of her because she is too obsessed with getting Romeo back. The modern comedic theme makes retelling an old tale an enjoyable experience. 

Reviews for this film were very mixed. People both enjoyed and hated the modern take on the film. It included some modern themes like featuring members of the LGBTQ+ community, while still keeping that Renaissance style in the spotlight. Lots of viewers enjoyed the costumes as they perfectly portrayed the lavish lifestyle in Renaissance. One viewer, also described the movie as being flat and predictable, but others enjoyed the small twists and comically cliche scenes. Rosaline is a fun and entertaining film with great details from the Renaissance period.