'How to Trap the President's Son' Review

A cleaning lady, a President’s son, one disastrous kiss, and suddenly the entire country is emotionally invested in a fake relationship spiraling completely out of control. "How to Trap the President’s Son" takes the fake dating trope and cranks the chaos all the way up.

We’re talking collapsing ceiling tiles, PR nightmares, bruised egos, accidental swooning, and two stubborn disasters slowly falling for each other while pretending they absolutely are not.

It’s messy, ridiculous, weirdly wholesome, and honestly? I had so much fun watching this glorious trainwreck unfold.

The poster for "How to Trap President's Son" | Source: youtube/reelshortapp

On paper, this premise sounds absolutely unhinged. An overworked cleaner trying to keep custody of her younger brother suddenly finds the President’s son half-naked and unconscious on the floor after a reckless night out.

One leaked video later, the entire country is obsessed, the election campaign is collapsing, and Richard desperately needs an image makeover fast. Enter Mary: exhausted, unimpressed, and suddenly forced into the role of the nation’s most unexpected fake girlfriend.

What makes this little gem work is that it never takes itself too seriously. The humor is wonderfully unserious (and I mean that lovingly!). The DIY makeover scene nearly finished me because everyone acts like Mary transformed into a sparkly princess when she literally just looked like her adorable self!

The show knows these tropes are silly and just runs with them. It skips the heavy melodrama, the toxic pool drownings, and the slapping contests. For once, the conflict comes from relatable personality clashes instead of trauma overload.

Oleksandra Pankova absolutely carries this drama on her back. Mary could have easily become a cliché “sassy poor girl” character, but Oleksandra gives her this grounded exhaustion underneath the comedy that makes her feel real. She has this incredible “I am too tired for everybody’s nonsense” energy that makes every reaction funny before she even says a word. Beneath all the sarcastic one-liners, there’s always this scrappy sweetness and survival instinct holding Mary together, which makes her impossible not to root for.

And Noel Salblix is the perfect opposite. His Richard is privileged, dramatic, and slightly hopeless at manual labor, but somehow still unbelievably endearing. You genuinely want to squish his cheeks while watching him fail spectacularly at trying to function like a normal person. Noel makes Richard far more lovable than he has any right to be. Underneath all the spoiled rich-boy arrogance, there’s this awkward softness that slowly sneaks through, and watching him realize money cannot solve literally everything ends up being weirdly charming.

The best part is that their enemies-to-lovers chemistry isn't instant fireworks. It is built on adorable annoyance, petty little schemes, and that iconic, aggressively chewy steak scene! It thrives in those tiny, awkward moments where they accidentally start understanding each other before they are emotionally ready for it. Richard learns that love isn't about money or control, and Mary learns she doesn't have to carry the whole world on her shoulders.

"How to Trap the President’s Son" just wants to make you laugh, swoon a little, and root for two disaster humans trying their absolute best. And somehow... it ended up feeling like the warmest, most refreshing hug!

If you love a charming, reverse-Cinderella story with incredible banter and zero heavy melodrama, you absolutely need to add this to your watchlist immediately.

Watch the trailer: