Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth's new movie Lonely Planet quickly ran to the top of Netflix's trending movies following its release at the weekend, but is the romance worth the watch? Find out here…
According to fans on X, the movie is perhaps not quite worth the watch. One person posted: "Not only was Liam Hemsworth & Laura Dern's chemistry unconvincing, forced & awkward, LONELY PLANET has got to be the most insignificant, inconsequential romantic drama that Netflix assembly line had ever produced; featuring the shallowest epiphany ever written."
Another person added: "This #LonelyPlanet movie - she had told me about her stolen bag and devastatingly lost book until she said it was 'two years of her life.' You didn't do a single backup for any of your books for the last TWO YEARS?? Unrealistic. I compulsively triple-save every 10 seconds."
A third person added: "#LonelyPlanet would have been a better and more convincing story if it was about a platonic relationship. The romance of it is soo forced." However, others defended it, with one posting: "I don’t think this movie is as bad as people are acting like it is. The girlfriend was narcissistic + annoying and didn’t really treat him well. When that message popped up on her phone I was like I know she is not [for real]."
The synopsis for the new movie reads: "A reclusive novelist arrives at a prestigious writer's retreat in Morocco, hoping the remote setting will unlock her writer's block. While there, she meets a young man - what starts as an acquaintanceship evolves into an intoxicating, life-altering love affair."
Speaking to People about making the movie, Laura was full of praise for Liam, particularly while filming intimate scenes. She said: "There was nothing we couldn’t talk about together and work out creatively, professionally, all of that. But we also had a lot of support. We had much, much discussion… [It is] incredible ... that film and filmmaking have changed so that everyone is comfortable in their voice and can set boundaries comfortably without fear of losing a job or being unpopular.
"We both, as young actors, have had a lot of other kinds of experiences in movies."
The feeling was clearly mutual, as Liam revealed that he signed onto the project specifically to work with the Jurassic Park star. "No tricks on this one. We had a connection from the moment we met and sat down," he explained to Screen Rant. "I came onto this project because Laura was a part of it already; the chance to work with Laura was a huge opportunity for me, and I was so excited by that. But coming into it, I'd heard great things about her."