Title: Lonely Planet
MPA Rating: R
Director: Susannah Grant
Starring: Laura Dern, Liam Hemsworth, Diana Silvers
Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins
What It Is: Established best-selling author Katherine Loewe (Dern) decides to attend a writer’s retreat, primarily to escape people and confront her lingering writer’s block. Similarly, young writer Lily (Silvers) and her finance-bro boyfriend Owen (Hemsworth) have also joined the retreat. Lily, a newly minted best-selling author, hopes the experience will elevate her craft. However, what unfolds instead is a budding love affair that throws both women off their game, plunging them into an entirely unfamiliar and transformative situation.
What We Think: Pretty standard Netflix RomCom fodder. Laura Dern is genuinely charming, but Liam Hemsworth just isn’t the guy. He lacks his brother’s charisma and ends up being a real detriment to material that isn’t all that strong to begin with.
Lily’s character is too thinly written, and her sudden attitude shift feels unearned. There’s not much substance here to sink your teeth into—it’s all rather shallow and forgettable. This is the definition of a Netflix popcorn RomCom: something you throw on your iPad or phone while cooking dinner.
Unfortunately, I paid too much attention for this film to leave any real impact. That said, Laura Dern is, as always, a standout. She’s super charming and brings so much depth to her character. You really feel for her and where she’s at in her life. Sure, she’s a best-selling author, but she’s also someone who’s clearly going through it.
Our Grade: C-, Meh. A film that very much does not need to be seen. If you’re going to patron it though…I hope you find more enjoyment then I did. I found myself left empty afterwards. A wholly hollow experience forgotten the minute the entire thing ends. One thing about a good RomCom is that it is endlessly rewatchable. That’s something big for me. Being able to throw on a film I’ve seen before and still getting something new out of it. At the very least it makes you laugh at jokes you already know are there. This doesn’t have that kinda juice. It doesn’t have much of anything going for itself. Slight recommend but not something that cannot be missed.