The Lost City
2022 · Directed by Aaron Nee, Adam Nee
Original language: English
- action
- adventure
- comedy
The story
Reclusive author Loretta Sage writes about exotic places in her popular adventure novels that feature a handsome cover model named Alan. While on tour promoting her new book with Alan, Loretta gets kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire who hopes she can lead him to the ancient city's lost treasure that featured in her latest story. Alan, determined to prove he can be a hero in real life and not just on the pages of her books, sets off to rescue her.
What it’s like
Bright, sun-saturated jungle and island photography, with lush greens, turquoise water and warm golden light that gives the whole film the glossy, postcard-perfect look of a big studio adventure. The camera is mobile and busy, sweeping through rainforest canopies and crumbling stone ruins with a wide, cheerful framing, and the editing keeps a brisk, comic rhythm: quick cuts between slapstick set-pieces and quieter exchanges between the leads. The score is bouncy and orchestral, with tropical percussion and a sprinkle of swashbuckling brass, so it sounds like a light-hearted old-fashioned quest. Vibe-wise this is playful, bantering and warm, a feel-good romp for a lazy Saturday afternoon, a long-haul flight, or a movie night with friends. Its people are a prickly, reclusive writer and a vain cover model slowly discovering they are better partners than they expected, with the emotional register staying gently romantic and self-aware. Violence is present but cartoonish and low-stakes: some fistfights, gunfire and falls, with no gore and little real menace. Sexual content is limited to suggestive jokes and a kiss or two. It suits viewers who want an easy, funny, escapist adventure with a romcom heart, and it is less suited to anyone wanting tension or dark drama.
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