Netflix’s newest rom-com Lonely Planet, starring Liam Hemsworth and Laura Dern, has dominated the streaming chart, despite truly poor reviews.
The widely panned movie follows ‘reclusive novelist’ Katherine Loewe (57-year-old Laura), who attends a writer’s retreat in Morocco where she encounters dashing young man Owen Brophy played by the Hunger Games star, 34.
They soon embark on an ‘intoxicating, life-altering love affair’, from Erin Brockovich creator Susannah Grant.
Although the cheesy romance has all the ingredients for a feel-good hit, the reviews have been less-than-glowing from critics and fans alike.
It’s currently sitting at a measly 39% on Rotten Tomatoes where it is described as a ‘lethargic romantic drama’ and completely lacking any chemistry.
Nevertheless, the A-List appeal, sunny location, and light-hearted plot have enough going for it to appeal to Netflix viewers and the movie has shot to number one in Netflix’s weekly global film chart, securing a second week in the top 10.
So far it has totalled 21,900,000 million streams (this week alone securing 13.7m) with no signs of slowing down. Anna Kendrick’s feature debut, Woman of the Hour, is trailing just behind in the second spot.
It marks a recurring trend for Netflix which sees its most critically-slammed movies skyrocket to the top. Just last month Joey King’s Uglies adaptation (flailing at an abysmal 15% on Rotten Tomatoes), easily became the number-one film.
For Lonely Planet, the complaints have been wide-spanning, covering everything from the lacklustre relationship to stale script. Essentially, it doesn’t leave its mark, despite the lead stars best efforts.
‘Neither dull enough to be painful nor fun enough to be engaging, it’s simply too bland to make much of an impression at all,’ the Hollywood Reporter wrote in their negative review.
‘The movie isn’t necessarily bad—it’s just wooden and unconvincing, both attributes that apply to many romance movies of the past that we still watch and moderately enjoy,’ Observer added.
‘The story isn’t so hot. At least the leads are. That’s not enough to make Lonely Planet a good film, but it might be enough to get through all 94 minutes without clicking on something else instead. Maybe,’ The Wrap concluded.
Even if viewers aren’t having a good time, at least Oscar-winning actor Laura is. She opened up to People about the steamier scenes she filmed with Liam.
The Jurassic Park star praised him as ‘literally the safest person I could ever talk through everything in my life with.’
She added: ‘By the time we were doing those scenes, there was nothing we couldn’t talk about together and work out creatively, professionally, all of that,” she explained. “But we also had a lot of support. We had much, much discussion.”
‘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.’
Meanwhile, co-star Liam added to Netflix that it was ‘an absolute privilege’ to share the screen with such an acclaimed actor.
‘She has this remarkable talent for drawing you in, making every moment feel intimate and real,’ he reflected.