Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth want to be unstuck in Netflix’s romantic drama

I’m not sure what took the romance genre to send its central lovers to other locations, but the trend continues at Netflix Lonely planet

. This time, the characters – Katherine Loewe (Laura Dern), a best-selling author who goes on a retreat to finish her book, and real estate agent Owen Brophy (Liam Hemsworth), who is on the retreat to support his newly successful Author girlfriend, Lily Kemp (Diana Silvers) – Head to Morocco. It’s where they develop feelings for each other, although the country is mostly a quiet, gorgeous backdrop to their budding romance rather than a character in its own right.

Lonely Planet is quite contemplative

It is not contributed

Written and directed by Susannah Grant, Lonely planet is ultimately about becoming unstuck – from a previous life, expectation, relationship or job. The retreat allows Catherine and Owen to find more than just each other. This sounds rather clichéd, but the film has a way of presenting its themes without much fuss or fanfare that lifts it beyond its basic premise. I respect it for that. It’s not full of contrived antics that bring the characters together, and Lily, while an antagonist in some ways, is also a sympathetic character who’s simply no longer on the same page as Owen.

Lonely planet It’s just as much about the things we hold on to past their expiration dates as it is about discovering new avenues and people who help shape our next stage in life. Catherine wants to hide away from everyone and everything, while Owen is looking for a connection outside of Lily that won’t make him feel like a constant outcast. They are two sides of the same coin in some respects and opposites in others, and Grant captures their slow-burn romance in a way that brings them together seamlessly.

Their relationship evolves from something simple – they end up sharing a car to town – but they pull out the parts they’ve only kept to themselves. There is a deep sense of self-discovery that permeates Lonely planetAnd that’s what keeps the story interesting. The romance comes second and it is often overshadowed by the story of discovering a novelty of oneself. To that end, the film could have used more romance, but there isn’t much passion or longing between the two characters. When they were together, I felt a little detached from them as a couple.

Lonely Planet is best when focused on the growth of its characters

Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth just have good chemistry

Dern is endlessly annoyed and silently frustrated like Catherine. She basks in the moments of quiet she is able to cut for herself, but her defenses slowly begin to fall the more time she spends with Owen. Dern nicely captures the evolution of Catherine’s opening up. Hemsworth, meanwhile, isn’t so much angry as he is the embodiment of a deep sigh. As the film goes on, the more he realizes that he is no longer in step with Lily (which honestly shouldn’t have brought him on the retreat anyway).

What the film does not have is great chemistry between the lead pair. It’s not bad, but it’s not significant either. Dern and Hemsworth look like they get along on screen, but perhaps it’s due to the quiet, calm-as-ocean-waves feel of the film that their connection doesn’t quite click in the romance department. I might have felt differently about their chemistry and romance Lonely planet Spent less time trying to pull Owen out of his unhappy relationship with Lily.

The film spends a lot of time in the build-up department so that the conflicts that arise between Owen and Lily – and later, Owen and Katherine – are not filled with the tension necessary to make it effective. It’s a sad one there, to be sure, but Grant doesn’t dwell on the elements long enough before moving quickly to Lonely planetIt’s the end.

And yet, the film is melancholic and contemplative in a way that isn’t always the case with romance genre films. There’s certainly something to be said for yet another romance movie that centers an older woman with a younger man, but as far as romantic dramas go, Lonely planet Is more drama than romance. But it’s a thoughtful enough movie as we watch two characters grow together and break free from what held them back; A lack of genuine romance in this instance is not a dealbreaker.

Lonely planet is now streaming on Netflix. The film is 94 minutes long and rated for language, some sexual content and brief nudity.