Private School Playboys
starring: AMANDA TROYA, JOSH WELLES & TEIG SADHANA
Head over heels for Ethan Sutton, it-boy of Lowell Private Academy, Maddie Sinclair has always put him first. But when she finds out he’s been cheating on her with heiress Vanessa Archibald, Madeline hatches a grand escape plan.
REVIEW
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a fresh take on a YA vert on @reelshortapp - adding in the UK / USA antagonism makes the rivalry between Rhys and Ethan much more entertaining.
It also looks brilliant, some gorgeous shots like the car/rain scene, and a richness of colour at the school and party scenes
There is a slight flaw in the set up, it doesn't feel a big enough reason for Madeleine not to break up with Ethan. It is awesome that she is a stronger female lead, love that, but it is a leap to believe she wouldn't just dump Ethan and go get a job
It's helped by the fact @josh_welles cleverly doesn't make Ethan too much of a jerk and occasionally leans into the All American boyish charm to keep him in play
It's great seeing @amanda_troya23 in a Reelshort vertical, often our female leads are very much damsels in distress, and it feels old fashioned. Amanda's Madeleine is closer to the awesome teen girls I know. Big teen and her friends are strong, cool, stand up for each other and don't take any sh*t - hope RS leans more into this in future verts
So good seeing @teig.sadhana getting to bring the British accent and arrogant rich boy vibe - my fave scenes are when Rhys is winding up Ethan, could watch a lot more of that. I do love it when awesome actors are given scripts that allow them to do more - we know Teig is an excellent green flag lead so having a role where he can show a different side and more edge is super. That has been one of the best things about the level up in stories this year, seeing more vertical stars get the opportunity to demonstrate just how damn good they are, and that they can do more than one type of role. More of this for everyone please.
Love @frankiestofan as Vanessa, she is a hoot and does the best foot stamp
We lose a bit of momentum near the end but then it all comes back with a super twist as Principal Sutton @alainabethreel subverts our expectations and calls out her son - just wish the final episode has a bit more oomph and wasn't just a Shein ad. I wanted a bigger romantic ending!
And we need to know what happens. What the heck did Rhys do to get thrown out of the UK? Will M remember him? Will his family accept her? Answers please.
💖 Top swoonworthy moment:
‘Are you alright luv?’ - best on screen use of luv since Spike in Buffy. Cue English accent and swoon. We need more English accents in verticals. Also slow mo entrances with rain, leather jackets and aura. And one handed pull up competitions. It’s cool seeing two leads with a little more edge, as Madeline actually has a post break up photo burn / belongings dump (oddly rarely seen in verticals). We do lose this edge a little bit later in the story (Rhys would do a much cooler promposal) which is why I have a slight worry that Rhys is more into Madeline than vice versa… think she will forget him…
🦹🏼♂️ Top villain award:
I actually rather love Vanessa and that when the going gets tough she calls in big sister to back her up. Poor Vanessa, darling don’t waste your time on Ethan - you got him an internship and he didn’t appreciate it. However acid attack and knife is taking it a tad too far though…
Also love the fact that the big plan to expose Rhys to the tabloids with the photo set up is a total waste of time 😂 He has clearly done way worse ladies.
😂 Comedy gold:
This is on the more subtle side for a Shein vertical - but Rhys bidding $1 million for jewellery in an action and then presenting it to Madeline in a Shein box finished me off. As did the line about the Chelsea scarf being a Harry Potter thing 😂
🎺 Unsung hero:
Principal Sutton - the ending is really good and makes the plot make a lot more sense. Refreshing to see a vertical teacher doing the right thing at the end, and turns out she does know her son well. Also excellent USA-UK banter, pitched perfectly. Well done team for that.
✍🏼 DETAILS
2026
Available on Reelshort
