Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram) Click here for audio version
‘Lonely Planet’ is only about 90 minutes long, but it took me two days to finish watching the film. Let’s talk plot first…
Feeling lonely, out of place, and disconnected from his author girlfriend at a writers’ retreat in Morocco, a young man hooks up with an older reclusive author who, like him, avoids the resort’s literary-themed activities and is fresh from a recent breakup. That would be the honest synopsis of the 2024 romantic movie ‘Lonely Planet’, unlike it’s more heady PR description – At a retreat in Morocco, a woman meets a young man whose acquaintanceship evolves into an intoxicating, life-altering love affair.
There’s nothing intoxicating about the romance, unless they’re referring to the feeling of wanting to go to sleep when you’ve had too much to drink. Written and directed by Susannah Grant, ‘Lonely Planet’ stars Laura Dern as literary star Katherine Loewe, going through a tough break-up, but determined to finish her next book, however, she is distracted by the handsome Owen Brophy (Liam Hemsworth), a finance guy stuck at the writers’ retreat with his girlfriend Lily Kemp (Diana Silvers).
There’s no chemistry between Liam Hemsworth and Laura Dern, besides the script doesn’t convincingly portray why a hot guy like Owen would be attracted to the asocial, snobby Katherine Loewe, especially since he isn’t even into books. Hint – he is bored, because his super cute author girlfriend solidly ignores him and bonds with the other writers. A romance between Katherine and Lily would’ve been more believable because Lily is already mad about Katherine’s works. What Katherine has with Owen would ideally be a ‘fling’, which the creators unrealistically extend to fool viewers.
Everything about Lonely Planet feels pretentious and shallow, and the creators barely make use of Morocco’s rich culture or history to reel in viewers. Sure, the retreat where most of the story takes place is stunning—it’s a heritage resort—and there are a few scenes where the characters wander through Morocco’s famed blue streets. But most of the film is shot through the typical westerner’s lens, with Katherine and Owen either gawking at goats in trees or bonding with locals who live in relative poverty in a village without pucca roads. At least romantic films like Ticket to Paradise and A Tourist’s Guide to Love do justice to their exotic locations, treating viewers to breathtaking scenery, even with their predictable plots.
If you’re looking for a fun, entertaining romance on Netflix, watch ‘Nobody Wants This’ instead.
Read Next: Nobody Wants This Review – The RomCom We Need (Short Audio Version below)