The 2025 fantasy In the Lost Lands is a viciously plodding tale of apocalyptic dullness. Its pace is so slow we feel punished by the filmmakers and the story itself.
Paul W.S. Anderson has really let the side down with this one. His attempt to bring a full length feature to life from R.R. Martin’s short story has failed.
Abysmally.
It is surprises me. Anderson is a personal favorite. He has been ever since Event Horizon scared the almost literal crap out of me. I even held on after all those Resident Evil films and their never ending sequels.
*These were nothing like the brilliant games that they were based upon. Although I still got a kick out of them.*
Milla Jovovich is playing another type of “Alice” here. Sadly this “Alys” is on the same train as her husband in terms of enjoyment.
In the Lost Lands Story
The queen hires Grey Alys to find a shapeshifter and take its power. Alys has to travel to the lost lands. The witch then hires Boyce to guide her. The two battle against demons and the all powerful church.
In the Lost Lands Cast
Milla Jovovich is Gray Alys.
Dave Bautista is Boyce.
Arly Jover is the enforcer.
Amara Okereke is the queen.
Fraser James is the patriarch.
What Doesn’t Work
In the Lost Lands is a convoluted mess of boring overused tropes and cliches. There is literally nothing new here on offer. One viewer was of the opinion that this felt like a video game adaptation. It is not. But doggone it, they are right, it does feel like one.
It is too bad it is not a game, as it would have been more fun to play than watch. Assuming of course that the storyline could be punched up and the player controlled battles more fun.
Anderson and co-writer Constantin Werner have missed the mark here. I have not read the RR Martin short story. Ergo I have no concept of the original material. One can only hope that Martin’s written words were more entertaining.
Refund
If I could, I would ask Prime for a refund. Not only could I have watched this abysmal apocalyptic tale for free on Hulu, but the fee of $5.99 was insultingly overpriced.
The Verdict
In the Lost Lands earns a apocalyptic 2.5 stars. It relies on outdated features and the above mention tropes, et al. The church is evil, demons are okay , blah, blah. It also bores us in the process. The film can be rented, as stated above via Prime. It is free to view on Hulu.
The Trailer
