Once upon a time, there was a place where young stars like Joey King and Zoey Deutch went to prove their leading lady potential. Nowadays, however, they seem to be a place where Oscar-winning actresses court younger men. Earlier this year, Nicole Kidman romanced Zac Efron A family affair, while Anne Hathaway seduced a fake Harry Styles into The idea of ​​you. Now Laura Dern is here to mesmerize Liam Hemsworth in Netflix’s lonely planet, a travelogue novel set during a writers’ retreat in Morocco.

Lonely planet has an impressive pedigree thanks to writer-director Susannah Grant, who wrote or co-wrote previously beloved female-centric films such as Ever afterErin Brockovich, And In her shoes, as well as the Netflix miniseries Incredible. Oddly enough, though, it’s her direction that stands out much more than her writing Lonely planet. The film was shot on location in Morocco and it shows: cinematographer Ben Smithard fills the film with wide shots of blue-tiled street markets, handheld footage of a bustling family tea service, vast desert vistas during the golden hour and atmospheric lighting in the kasbah. where the writers’ retreat is held. This alone is enough to make it stand out in a sea of ​​Netflix offerings that often look like they were filmed in IKEA showrooms.

It’s also a solid, if not exceptionally well-acted film. Despite the almost disastrous choice to have Hemsworth use an American accent instead of his natural Australian accent (did 10 things I hate about you don’t teach us anything?!?), he and Dern have warm, believable chemistry together. While this may be a May-December romance (Dern is 23 years older than her co-star), Hemsworth’s grounded masculine confidence makes him feel like an equal in their dynamic. Dern, meanwhile, delivers the kind of erratic, self-aware charm offensive that has made her such a beloved screen presence over the past forty years.

The power of the performances is central, because Lonely planetThe screenplay leaves something to be desired. Despite the clear aim to make this a wistful adult romance, the characters are thinly drawn and speak a little too much in rom-com clichés. Katherine Loewe van Dern is a well-known but reclusive writer who suffers from grief and writer’s block. Hemsworth’s Owen Brophy is an uneducated financial brother dragged to the retreat by his irritable girlfriend Lily (Diana Silvers), a young novelist caught up in the whirlwind success of her debut book. The social dynamics of the retreat quickly drive a wedge between Owen and Lily, even as it brings Katherine and Owen closer together. But can his former high school quarterback’s sincerity match her belief that the only time she can be around is when she’s not writing?

Script-wise, Lonely planet never really makes it clear why Katherine and Owen would be attracted to each other on anything other than a physical level. But that doesn’t really matter when the performances, direction and melodic score are working overtime to sell the connection. The romance consists almost entirely of the longing looks the two share on rural road trips and at Moroccan café tables, the attraction rooted in their non-judgmental curiosity and mutual comfort with silence. Lonely planet is not steamy The idea of ​​you or crazy A family affair, but it has a vibes-over-plot appeal that carries over into the central romance.

Although a meatier version of this script might have been an ensemble drama about all the crazy writers at the retreat and how their stories run parallel – sort of Best exotic marigold hotel for Morocco—Lonely planet has no interest in characters that aren’t the two leads. The fellow writers disappear almost as soon as they are introduced. Even poor Lily barely exists as a footnote in Owen’s story; he is instantly disinterested in her as soon as he sees Katherine. “Inevitable” is too charitable a word for how this love story unfolds. Even calling it a story at all feels generous.

Actually, so little happens in it Lonely planet that it’s more of a dreamy, 96-minute Moroccan tourism ad than anything else. But there are worse things than watching two beautiful people share an intrinsic bond over beautiful images of an ancient civilization. The fact that the film has no stakes whatsoever and unfolds in one low emotional key is part of its appeal: the kind of subgenre known in publishing parlance as “cozy romance.” For those who are tired of love stories with exaggerated grand gestures: Lonely planet offers something different. While it’s not the kind of life-changing vacation you’ll think about after the credits roll, it’s an easygoing day trip to the land of gentle romance.

Director: Susannah Grant
Writer: Susannah Grant
Starring: Laura Dern, Liam Hemsworth, Diana Silvers, Younès Boucif, Adriano Giannini, Rachida Brakni
Release date: October 11, 2024 (Netflix)