In Lonely Planet, Owen (Liam Hemsworth) tells Katherine (Laura Dern) early on that he doesn’t care much for travel, dismissing the idea that visiting new places can be transformative. “You get there and you’re not new or exotic. You’re just you,” he says. Predictably, the film will prove him wrong, as their trip to Morocco sparks a whirlwind romance that changes their lives.
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| Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth in 'Lonely Planet.' Anne Marie Fox/Netflix |
Yet, while the relationship at the heart of this Netflix romance is meant to be once-in-a-lifetime, the experience of watching it feels decidedly underwhelming. It's not bad enough to be painful, nor engaging enough to hold interest—it lands somewhere in the middle, too bland to leave much of an impression.
That said, Lonely Planet does succeed in one area: showcasing Morocco as a stunning vacation destination. Writer-director Susannah Grant, an Oscar nominee for Erin Brockovich, captures one breathtaking view after another.
From luxurious rooms draped in richly patterned silks to streets lined with vibrant, watercolor-blue walls, the film offers plenty of postcard-perfect moments. The retreat’s kasbah, nestled in the hills outside Marrakech, delivers views so spectacular that fellow traveler Lily (Diana Silvers) gasps to her boyfriend Owen, “You can see forever.”
While there are minor travel inconveniences like car troubles and food poisoning, even these turn into predictable romance plot devices. There’s a brief moment where the movie almost hints at becoming something stranger, as if the hostess might be manipulating her guests’ love lives for her own amusement—but no such twist comes to pass.
Katherine, desperate to finish her novel, is forced out of her room when her faucet breaks. Owen, there to support Lily, is pushed outdoors by poor cell service. Their paths cross, and a fast friendship blooms into a romance. They seem to bond over a mutual ease with each other, though what really unites them is being surrounded by insufferable people—Lily included.
The film's portrayal of the elite writers at the retreat could be biting satire if it had more humor or sharper detail. Instead, the authors flatter each other endlessly while sneering at Owen, who fails to remember a Great Expectations character’s name. Only Katherine treats him with respect, genuinely curious about his life, memories, and feelings, though even Owen seems uninterested in his own private equity job.
Their chemistry, unfortunately, is mild and inconsistent. Katherine, though lacking a distinct personality, is grounded by Dern’s natural charm. Owen, on the other hand, feels more like a generic vessel for Katherine’s desires, and Hemsworth doesn’t do much to make the role his own.
Their connection comes across as two nice people having a nice enough time together, but there’s no deep passion between them. Even their love scenes lack intensity, obscured by shadow and choppy editing that makes one wonder if body doubles are involved.
The film doesn’t dig deeply into either character’s life beyond their brief romance. We see almost nothing of their lives outside of Morocco—not even the cities they live in or the friends they might have at home. Katherine’s writer’s block is the reason she’s there in the first place, yet we never learn much about her work beyond vague descriptions of its critical and commercial success.
In the broader landscape of recent films featuring older woman-younger man romances—like The Idea of You, A Family Affair, and the upcoming Babygirl—Lonely Planet fits in, though it doesn’t directly address the age gap. It delivers the fantasy of meeting someone who connects with you on every level—emotionally, intellectually, sexually.
But the real wish fulfillment here is even simpler: the dream of becoming the "new and exotic" version of yourself on vacation, with none of the real-world complications getting in the way. It’s a fantasy of living in a beautiful, sun-soaked bubble—maybe even forever—in picturesque Morocco.
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