CANADA NEWS – In Netflix’s latest romance drama Lonely Planet, audiences are expected to root for love—but this age-gap affair between a creatively blocked novelist and a much younger finance bro does just the opposite. Starring Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth, the film struggles to deliver the magnetic chemistry that typically drives romantic films, leaving viewers to question if this mismatched couple is even worth rooting for.
Dern plays Katherine, a famous novelist grappling with writer’s block and fresh off a breakup. She retreats to a luxurious Moroccan writer’s getaway, hoping to find solace and finish her next book. Hemsworth’s character, Owen, a finance guy with a shallow persona, is in Morocco with his girlfriend, Lily (Diana Silvers), a newly successful author whose rise to fame only exacerbates the cracks in their relationship.
While Katherine is cool, poised, and successful, Owen is every bit the stereotypical “finance bro”—uninspiring, shallow, and full of red flags. Despite his good looks, the film fails to make a compelling case for why Katherine would be drawn to someone who spouts lines like, “2,500 acres of untapped coal is gonna be a solid investment,” over brunch. It’s hard to believe a woman of Katherine’s stature would fall for a man who can’t distinguish between Dickens and Gladys Knight. Yet, the script insists on forcing them together.
Set against the alluring backdrop of Morocco, the film tries to weave an exotic, transformative love story as Katherine and Owen explore the vibrant markets of Chefchaouen and walk through the blue-hued streets. However, the rich setting often feels like nothing more than a convenient backdrop for their uninspired conversations, with the North African culture reduced to mere visual appeal. What should have been an adventurous and transformative connection between two people feels contrived, with no real depth or emotional pull.
Writer-director Susannah Grant, known for Erin Brockovich and Unbelievable, has explored unconventional relationships before, but Lonely Planet struggles to find its footing. The film’s pacing is sluggish, with the much-anticipated romantic tension between Katherine and Owen taking too long to develop. By the time the film delivers its one steamy rendezvous in the final act, it feels too little, too late.
Visually, Lonely Planet excels with its sun-soaked cinematography by Ben Smithard and a dreamy score by Pinar Toprak that evokes the romance the screenplay fails to deliver. These elements lend the film a lush, intoxicating feel, but they can’t compensate for the lack of genuine connection between the leads.
Ultimately, Lonely Planet squanders the potential of its intriguing premise. Rather than offering a subversive take on romance or a meaningful exploration of love between a mature woman and a younger man, the film forces a relationship where none seems to exist. Even Laura Dern’s luminous performance as the intelligent, aspirational Katherine can’t save the film from feeling hollow. Instead of a passionate love story, we’re left with a lukewarm romance that fails to satisfy.
Rating: R. Available on Netflix. Contains strong language, sexual content, and brief nudity. Runtime: 96 minutes.
