Spruced-Up Shakespeare Can’t Save “Juliet & Romeo”

Juliet & Romeo (Timothy Scott Bogart, 2025) 2 out of 5 stars

What better way to reintroduce a tale as old as time than to give it a modernized, hip-hop-centered musical twist? In Juliet & Romeo, director Timothy Scott Bogart (Spinning Gold) delivers one of William Shakespeare’s most beloved tales of love, passion, violence, and death. Based on the true story that apparently inspired Shakespeare’s famous work of theater, Bogart’s take on the drama infuses a full original score yet retains the detailed aesthetics of an Elizabethan time period. Narratively, however, the film fails to provide any new or compelling elements, riding more on new-age trends than exploring new ways to tell an oft-told narrative.

The music pays homage to Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendez, Camilla Cabello (the list goes on and on), and many other artists’ styles, which leads to an exciting pace that will surely woo a younger audience accustomed to pop beats and showtunes. Among the main cast, I was pleased with the cunning and strict demeanor of Rebel Wilson (Jojo Rabbit) as Lady Capulet, set on putting her daughter Juliet (Clara Rugaard, Love Gets a Room) in her proper place. Jamie Ward plays Romeo, and his and Rugaard’s rapport is charming. Not since Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 Romeo + Juliet has Shakespeare’s tale of doomed lovers been revamped and given such a new vision.

While the sights and sounds of Juliet & Romeo captivate, Bogart still struggles to fully give Shakespeare’s story an innovative spin. It is almost as if Bogart intends to clean the slate of previous cinematic renditions and reintroduce Romeo and Juliet to the youngest audience through popular teenage trends. Be that as it may, for a general audience, viewers may roll their eyes and grow bored with the predictable plotline.

Juliet & Romeo will be in UK Cinemas for One Night Only on 11th June. It is currently playing in the United States.

Adam Vaughn

Adam Vaughn is a graduate of the Film & Moving Image program at Stevenson University, with a focus in Cinematography and Production. He also has a minor in Theater and Media Performance. Adam works as a freelance photographer and videographer, focusing his craft on creating compelling photographic and cinematic imagery. Adam is excited to join the Film Festival Today team and explore the world of cinema and visual arts.