I’m not sure why Laura Dern), a best-selling writer who goes on a retreat to finish her book, and real estate agent Owen Brophy (Liam Hemsworth), who’s at the retreat to his newly successful author girlfriend, Lily Kemp (Diana Silvers) — head to Morroco. It’s where they develop feelings for each other, though the country is mostly a silent, gorgeous backdrop to their budding romance rather than a character unto itself.

Lonely Planet Is Quite Contemplative

It Isn't Contrived

Written and directed by Susannah Grant, Lonely Planet is ultimately about becoming unstuck — from a previous life, outlook, relationship, or job. The retreat allows Katherine and Owen to find more than just each other. That sounds rather cliché, but the film has a way of presenting its themes without much fuss or fanfare that elevates it beyond its basic premise. I respected it for that. It isn’t full of contrived antics that drive the characters together, and Lily, though an antagonist in some ways, is also a sympathetic character who’s simply no longer on the same page as Owen.

There’s a deep sense of self-discovery that permeates Lonely Planet, and it’s that which keeps the story interesting.

Lonely Planet is just as much about the things we hold on to past their expiration dates as it is about discovering new avenues and people that help shape our next stage in life. Katherine wants to hide away from everyone and everything, while Owen seeks a connection outside of Lily that won’t make him feel like a constant outcast. They’re two sides of the same coin in some respects and opposites in others, and Grant captures their slow-burn romance in a way that brings them together seamlessly.

Their relationship evolves from something simple — they end up sharing a car to town — but they draw out the parts they’ve been only keeping to themselves. There’s a deep sense of self-discovery that permeates Lonely Planet, and it’s that which keeps the story interesting. The romance comes secondary and it’s often overshadowed by the story of discovering a newness of the self. To that end, the film could have used more romance, but there isn’t much ion or longing between the two characters. By the time they got together, I felt a bit detached from them as a couple.

Lonely Planet Is Best When Focused On Its Characters' Growth

Laura Dern & Liam Hemsworth Have Only Okay Chemistry

Dern is endlessly annoyed and silently frustrated as Katherine. She basks in the moments of quiet she’s able to carve for herself, but her defenses slowly begin to drop the more time she spends with Owen. Dern nicely captures the evolution of Katherine’s opening up. Hemsworth, meanwhile, isn’t so much broody as he is the embodiment of a deep sigh. As the film goes on, the more he realizes he’s no longer in step with Lily (who honestly shouldn’t have brought him on the retreat anyway).

What the film doesn’t have is great chemistry between the main couple. It’s not bad, but it isn’t significant either. Dern and Hemsworth look like they’re getting along onscreen, but perhaps it’s due to the quiet, calm-as-ocean-waves feeling of the film that their connection doesn’t fully click in the romance department. I may have felt differently about their chemistry and romance had Lonely Planet spent less time trying to pull Owen out of his unhappy relationship with Lily.

The film spends a lot of time in the buildup section so that the conflicts that arise between Owen and Lily — and, later, Owen and Katherine — aren’t full of the tension needed to make it effective. There’s a sadness there, to be sure, but Grant doesn’t linger long enough on these elements before moving quickly to Lonely Planet’s ending.

And yet, the film is melancholic and contemplative in a way that isn’t always the case with romance genre films. There’s certainly something to be said about yet another romance movie that centers an older woman with a younger man, but as far as romantic dramas go, Lonely Planet is more drama than romance. But it’s a thoughtful enough movie as we watch two characters grow together and break free of what held them back before; a lack of genuine romance in this instance isn’t a dealbreaker.

Lonely Planet is now streaming on Netflix. The film is 94 minutes long and rated R for language, some sexual content, and brief nudity.