In the Lost Lands (2025): A Bold but Uneven Dark Fantasy
In the Lost Lands (2025), directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, is a visually ambitious fantasy film adapted from a short story by George R.R. Martin. Blending post-apocalyptic landscapes, sword-and-sorcery elements, and dystopian world-building, the film aims high — but ultimately struggles to match its cinematic vision with narrative clarity and emotional weight.
The film follows Gray Alys (Milla Jovovich), a mysterious and powerful sorceress, who is hired by a queen to venture into a cursed wilderness known as the Lost Lands. Her goal: to retrieve the secret of shapeshifting — the power to transform into a werewolf. Guiding her through this deadly, desolate terrain is Boyce (Dave Bautista), a gruff, battle-scarred warrior with a hidden past and a personal connection to the queen. Their journey takes them through ravaged ruins, hostile territories, and confrontations with monstrous beings and religious fanatics.
From the outset, the film establishes a harsh and stylized world. The visual palette is dominated by bleached deserts, cold steel, and heavy CGI backdrops. True to Anderson’s style, the film features explosive action, sweeping camera movements, and elaborate combat sequences. Some of the set pieces — such as a high-speed train ambush and a ritualistic duel at a crumbling temple — showcase the film’s kinetic energy and spectacle-driven approach.
However, beneath the surface, the story often feels undercooked. The lore of the world is hinted at but rarely fleshed out. Characters speak in cryptic, expository dialogue that doesn’t always lead to meaningful development. Despite the interesting premise, the film struggles to connect emotionally. Gray Alys, while portrayed with icy intensity by Jovovich, is a distant protagonist whose motivations remain opaque. Bautista’s Boyce fares slightly better — his performance brings a level of stoic vulnerability and physical presence that anchors many scenes.
One of the film’s more intriguing themes is the cost of desire — whether it’s power, transformation, or redemption. Both main characters are driven by past wounds and uncertain futures. There are moments that hint at a deeper moral question: what happens when wishes are granted without wisdom? Unfortunately, the film moves too quickly from one set piece to the next to fully explore these ideas.
Technically, the production design is impressive. The costume and creature work are bold, with unique armor designs and some eerie, practical effects. However, the heavy reliance on green screen and digital landscapes sometimes works against immersion, making scenes feel artificial or disjointed. The music and sound design are serviceable, though not particularly memorable.
Critics have been divided on the film. Some praise its ambition, genre-blending creativity, and Bautista’s grounded performance. Others find it narratively incoherent, overly stylized, and emotionally hollow. The film certainly tries to do something different with the fantasy genre, but its execution may not satisfy all audiences.
In summary, In the Lost Lands is a film of big ambition and striking visuals, but it falls short in storytelling and character depth. It will likely appeal most to fans of dark fantasy and action-heavy spectacle, but others may find its journey into the wilderness more confusing than captivating.
