Minor spoilers for “Lonely Planet” to follow.
Chefchaouen emerges as the primary location for successful novelist Katherine to seek solace for her writing, as impossible deadlines often demand that you tune everything out and lock in. However, Katherine’s vacation coincides with a writer’s conference, prompting some networking with fellow authors, among whom, first-time novelist Lily (Diana Silvers) arrives with her boyfriend, Owen. There’s trouble in paradise from the get-go, as Lily and Owen could not be more different than one another. Furthermore, each is unwilling to pause and listen to the other: while Owen does not care much about the literary environment that the convention evokes, Lily does not appreciate Owen’s preoccupation with his work when he’s on vacation with her. After a string of events, Owen enters Katherine’s orbit, and the two start a tentative friendship and begin to get to know one another.
There’s lots to like about the burgeoning relationship between the two, as it is interesting to view their disparate worlds merging instead of clashing, where both Katherine and Owen become more patient and open-minded versions of themselves in each other’s company. The urge to be truly seen by another, when actualized, often brings about such beautiful changes in the self, even when the rest of the world pokes at our deep-seated fears and insecurities, ridiculing our very identities. Owen experiences this firsthand when most of the writers (except Katherine) mock him for his disinterest in literary pursuits, making them feel terribly insecure, but Katherine offers to soothe these sentiments with a mature, accepting outlook that draws the duo closer together.
Although the film approaches these sentiments without resorting to manufactured melodrama, taking a more grounded, worthwhile approach, “Lonely Planet” does not offer anything new, nor does it explore the heady mix of literary elitism, mixed with a sprinkle of vitriolic self-doubt, which is the lens most of the writers here are parsed through. Although Dern and Hemsworth played their roles well, the chemistry feels lacking, causing some of their more profound moments to feel like a beautiful painting devoid of color.
The rest feels pretty predictable, but you should make up your own mind about “Lonely Planet,” which is currently streaming on Netflix.
What are your thoughts on “Lonely Planet”?