Lonely Planet Movie: Reviews, Cast, Controversy & Filming Location

Few films spark as much conversation before they even land on a streaming platform. For Lonely Planet, the 2024 Netflix romantic drama pairing Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth, the buzz centered on two things: a 23-year age gap between the leads and a Moroccan backdrop that quickly became a character of its own.

Release Date: October 11, 2024 ·
Director: Susannah Grant ·
Runtime: 94 minutes ·
Filming Location: Morocco ·
Production: Netflix ·
Genre: Romantic Drama

Eight key specs, one pattern: a streaming-original romantic drama built around a high-profile cast and a controversial central relationship.

The implication: every element of this production was designed to maximize streaming appeal rather than critical recognition.

Is Lonely Planet a good film?

Critical Reviews

Critics were broadly unimpressed. Rotten Tomatoes (aggregated review platform) reports a 39% critics’ score based on 46 reviews, with a 5.1/10 average rating. Wikipedia (open encyclopedia) notes that Metacritic (critic aggregation site) assigned a 46/100 score from 17 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews. The Guardian (UK newspaper) described the film as “a formulaic romance” in its 2/5-star review.

Audience Ratings

Audiences were slightly more forgiving. The Rotten Tomatoes audience score sits at 54%, suggesting a divided viewership. Metro (UK news outlet) reported that viewers “slammed” the film, calling it a “painful waste” of a strong cast. The gap between critic and audience scores points to a film that works for some viewers despite its flaws.

Plot Summary

• A reclusive novelist, Katherine Loewe (Laura Dern), attends a writers’ retreat in Morocco (Netflix Tudum (official streaming platform))
• She meets a younger financier, Owen Brophy (Liam Hemsworth), and begins a life-altering affair
• The Moroccan setting is central to the film’s atmosphere, though RogerEbert.com (film review site) notes the retreat is in an unnamed part of the country

The pattern: the film’s premise — a solitary older woman swept into romance by a younger man — is the very element that divided critics and audiences alike.

Did Liam Hemsworth and Laura Dern get along?

On-Set Relationship

Both actors reported a natural, comfortable working dynamic. In interviews promoting the film, Hemsworth praised Dern’s professionalism and generosity as a scene partner. No reports of tension or conflict surfaced during or after production.

Interviews and Comments

Hemsworth described the experience of working with Dern as one of the most collaborative of his career. The pair’s chemistry on screen was, according to both, the result of genuine rapport rather than technical craft. Netflix Tudum (official streaming platform) highlighted the duo’s dynamic in its promotional coverage.

The pattern: the lead actors’ real-world ease with each other stands in contrast to the heated public debate about their on-screen pairing.

What is the controversy with The Lonely Planet?

Age-Gap Criticism

The 23-year age difference between Dern (born 1967) and Hemsworth (born 1990) became the film’s most talked-about element. Variety (entertainment trade publication) framed the movie explicitly as an age-gap romance, describing it as a story about “an older woman falling for a man nearly half her age.” The Guardian (UK newspaper) noted the film’s central relationship as a novelist in Morocco who develops an attraction to a much younger man.

Social Media Backlash

Viewers on social media called the romance “cringey,” and some critics found the premise unrealistic. Metro (UK news outlet) reported that audiences questioned the plausibility of the relationship, with many pointing to the age gap as the source of their discomfort. The backlash raises a deeper question: whether the reaction was about the film itself or about broader cultural discomfort with older woman/younger man narratives.

The trade-off: the controversy may have driven curiosity and viewership even as it generated negative press.

What country was The Lonely Planet filmed in?

Primary Filming Locations

• Principal photography took place entirely in Morocco (Netflix Tudum (official streaming platform))
• Key scenes were shot in Marrakech and the Atlas Mountains
• RogerEbert.com (film review site) notes the retreat is set in an unnamed part of the country

Scenic Highlights

The setting plays a central role in the film’s atmosphere. The Moroccan landscape — from bustling souks to quiet mountain vistas — provides the visual contrast that mirrors the characters’ internal transformations. The film uses location as a narrative device, making the environment inseparable from the romance.

The catch: for all the visual richness of Morocco on screen, the setting remains a backdrop rather than a fully realized character in its own right.

What is the age difference between Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth?

Laura Dern’s Age

Laura Dern was born on February 10, 1967, making her 57 years old at the time of the film’s release in October 2024 (Wikipedia (open encyclopedia)).

Liam Hemsworth’s Age

Liam Hemsworth was born on January 13, 1990, making him 34 years old at the time of the film’s release (Wikipedia (open encyclopedia)).

On-Screen Dynamic

The age difference is 23 years — a gap that became a central point of controversy. Variety (entertainment trade publication) explicitly framed the film around this dynamic, noting that the story hinges on an older woman falling for a man nearly half her age. The 23-year gap between the actors is comparable to the gap between the characters they portray.

Why this matters: the age gap isn’t just a casting detail — it’s the narrative engine of the film and the primary source of its cultural resonance.

Specifications at a glance

Six production details, one pattern: a streamlined Netflix original with a clear genre identity and a single location focus.

Clarity check

Confirmed facts

• Film premiered on Netflix on October 11, 2024 (Netflix Tudum)
• Directed by Susannah Grant (Wikipedia)
• Filmed entirely in Morocco (Netflix Tudum)
• Laura Dern (born 1967) and Liam Hemsworth (born 1990) star (Wikipedia)
• Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score: 39% (Rotten Tomatoes)
• Metacritic score: 46/100 (Wikipedia)

What’s unclear

• Exact box office or streaming figures (Netflix does not disclose)
• Whether the age-gap controversy affected viewership numbers
• Whether the film will gain a second life through word-of-mouth
• Director Susannah Grant’s next project timeline

Voices on the film

“Dern is an incredibly generous scene partner. She has this way of making you feel like you’ve been working together for years.”

— Liam Hemsworth, speaking to Netflix Tudum (official streaming platform)

“A formulaic romance that wastes a stunning location and a talented cast on a story that never earns its emotional beats.”

— The Guardian (UK newspaper) review, 2/5 stars

“The film is more about the people than the destination. The Moroccan setting is gorgeous but ultimately a backdrop for a character study that doesn’t quite go deep enough.”

— RogerEbert.com (film review site)

For viewers deciding whether to stream Lonely Planet, the choice is clear: if you’re drawn to star-driven romance with a controversial edge and a travel-poster setting, it delivers exactly what it promises. For anyone seeking a fresh, unpredictable love story with fully realized characters, the critical consensus suggests looking elsewhere. The film is streaming now on Netflix — and the debate about whether it’s a guilty pleasure or a missed opportunity is likely to continue as long as it sits in the top 10.

Related reading: Cast Of The Perfect Couple

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