Romantic drama from 2024 starring Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth on Netflix

Irrelevant spoiler so that “Lonely Planet” follows.

For successful writer Katherine, Chefchaouen turns out to be the most important place where she seeks solace for her writing, as impossible deadlines often require you to block out and hold on to everything. However, Katherine’s vacation coincides with a writers’ conference, which leads to some networking with other authors, including debut author Lily (Diana Silvers) who arrives with her boyfriend Owen. From the very beginning there is trouble in paradise because Lily and Owen couldn’t be more different. Furthermore, each is unwilling to stop and listen to the other: while Owen is not particularly interested in the literary environment that the convention creates, Lily does not appreciate Owen preoccupying himself with his work when he is on vacation with her. After a series of events, Owen comes into Katherine’s orbit and the two begin a tentative friendship and begin to get to know each other.

There’s a lot to like about the budding relationship between the two, as it’s interesting to see how their different worlds merge rather than collide, with both Katherine and Owen becoming more patient and open-minded versions of themselves in each other’s company. The urge to be truly seen by another, when realized, often leads to such beautiful changes in the self, even when the rest of the world denounces our deep-seated fears and insecurities and ridicules our identity. Owen experiences this firsthand when most of the authors (except Katherine) mock him for his disinterest in literary pursuits, which gives them a terrible feeling of insecurity, but Katherine offers to calm these feelings with a mature, accepting attitude that brings the duo closer together.

Although the film approaches these feelings without resorting to artificial melodrama, but instead takes a more grounded, worthwhile approach, “Lonely Planet” offers nothing new, nor does it explore the heady mix of literary elitism mixed with a dash of biting self-doubt that is that Lens through which most authors here are analyzed. Although Dern and Hemsworth played their roles well, the chemistry is lacking, making some of their deeper moments seem like a beautiful painting without color.

The rest feels pretty predictable, but you should make up your own mind about “Lonely Planet,” currently streaming on Netflix.