Academy Award winner Laura Dern gets pushed against a wall and ravaged in Netflix’s Lonely Planet, and we love to see it. This is what a woman of her caliber deserves!
Written and directed by Susannah Grant (also known for penning Oscar-nominated script for Erin Brockovich), Lonely Planet is the latest entry in the recent surge of older women/younger men romances. The film, which began streaming on Netflix today, stars Dern as a successful novelist named Katherine Loewe, who attends a prestigious writer’s retreat in Morocco. Despite what her nagging editor—or her unsympathetic ex-husband—might think, Katherine is not at the retreat to schmooze and booze with fellow writers. She’s determined to push through her writer’s block, and finish her next novel.
Also attending the retreat is Owen Brophy, played by Hunger Games hunk Liam Hemsworth. Owen is not a writer—he’s the finance bro boyfriend of another writer on the trip, Lily (Diana Silvers). Lily’s first novel was a whirlwind success, and suddenly, her uncultured boyfriend who doesn’t read looks a lot less appealing. While Lily happily schmoozes, Owen feels left out and looked down on. Cue the meet-cute between Katherine and Owen, and the unlikely connection forged between two different people who are each ready for a change. (Don’t worry: Lily cheats on Owen, first. Sort of.)
After an hour or so of yearning, heated looks, and some very sexy nuzzling, Katherine and Owen finally get it on. After sharing a passionate kiss on the streets of Morocco, the two hurry back to their hotel room. From there, they don’t even make it to the bed. They hardly even take off their clothes. (Again, Laura Dern has an Oscar—I dare any director to pressure her into nudity.) Owen simply pushes Katherine up against the nearest wall and… goes for it.
Look, this is a movie. Movie sex is notorious for unrealistic sex time frames—namely, how quickly everyone gets to where they want to be, if you know what I mean. But if you’re willing to look beyond that obvious flaw, this scene is hot as hell. At one point, Hemsworth literally picks up Dern off the floor like she’s a sack of flower. It’s hard to see others living your dream, but if anyone deserves it, it’s Academy Award-winner Laura Dern.
When the deed is done, Dern and Hemsworth share a chuckle about how they didn’t even make it to the bed. Classic! And in the morning, they do it all over again. (We don’t get to see it that time, but it’s implied.) Shout-out to writer/director Susannah Grant for not skimping on the sex in this romance. In a sea of sexless, sanitized content, this is a breath of fresh air. And shout to Dern and Hemsworth for their sizzling chemistry, which made me sincerely root for them as a couple. Katniss had her chance with Gale—now it’s Dern’s turn.