The Loneliest Planet

Released Oct 26, 2012

1h 53m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

74%

65 Reviews

Tomatometer

31%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

An incident on the trail tests two lovers' (Gael García Bernal, Hani Furstenberg) relationship as they take a guided hiking tour through the Caucasus Mountains.

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Critics Consensus

The source material that inspired The Loneliest Planet may be brief, but this adaptation of a Tom Bissell short story compensates with studious, finely detailed filmmaking, haunting visuals, and thought-provoking subtext.

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Audience Member

Not for everyone, but I thought it was an interesting study of a young couple's adventure in a rugged, dangerous part of the world where they didn't know the language. It was directed by a young woman, which is a plus for me. Much is left unsaid so you have to read between the lines. The acting was great as was the scenery and it held my interest.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I love how the fabric of this film is felt through subtle tells and moments. When the pressure's on can we really depend on those we love? How are we supposed to feel after being monumentally let-down by our significant other? The film did drag on a little much. I'm sure some of the reason was to make the viewer feel the isolation of the characters, but the wide shots used felt out of place and too abrupt. I'll revisit this film from time-to-time, though.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Serge L

Foot travel in the mountains of a strange country with a guide. Not your romantic escapade! Great bodies in shape, great panoramas, not much of a story though. Another I watched the second half in accelerate. Good if plenty of time.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/08/18

Full Review

Audience Member

There's a moment near the midpoint of Julia Loktev's The Loneliest Planet that turns a happy couple into a doubtful one. It changes an adventurous trek through the beautiful mountains of Georgia into a desolate, fearful, and truly hellish journey home. And it transforms a good-looking, unsetting film into something as complex, harrowing, and borderline brilliant. It's a bit of a slog with very little dialogue, but it's the kind of film that will get under your skin and stay there. The couple in question is Alex (Gael Garcia Bernal) and Nica (Hani Furstenberg). They're engaged and in the middle of a grueling backpacking trip when we join them (in a startling way, it should be noted). Their guide is Dato (Bidzina Gujabidze), a native Georgian with a good sense of humor. The landscape is the star of the film's first half, as these three move over diverse and dangerous terrain. The film is so methodical that any experienced movie watcher knows a turn is on its way. Every creek they cross is a threat. Every rock formation spells doom. Even the enigmatic Dato will unsettle you. This sense of dread is only enhanced by Loktev's incredible sound design and editing style. The film falls into this interesting rhythm wherein Loktev plants her camera a great distance away from her three actors while the disquieting, almost angry score blares loudly. They walk from one side of the frame to the other-each character traveling at varying degrees of meaningful distance from the others-and once (sometimes before) that small piece of the trek is complete, a smash cut brings the music to an end and these three individuals into extreme close-up. It's the kind of technique that's hard not to notice, and it definitely keeps you on your toes. Loktev does something similar with darkness and light-cutting dramatically from a shot of the Georgian wilderness at twilight to a blindingly bright morning on the mountain. I've said The Loneliest Planet is slow, and it is, but it's certainly not boring. If nothing else does, at least Loktev's style will ensure you're consistently engaged. After the film's inciting incident, it actually proceeds at an even slower pace-or at least it feels that way. There are fewer smiles, next to no dialogue, and a whole lot less fun. But these actors don't need to be verbally engaging with one another to speak profoundly to their audience. Furstenberg's noticeably missing smile, the uncomfortable way Garcia Bernal keeps his hands, and again, the purposeful and meaningful distance at which they walk say more than words. The film limps along during its final 20 minutes, but the sense of hopelessness present is enough to form a pit in your stomach, so don't go in expecting a good time. However, the director's approach is incredibly unique and thoughtful, which alone makes The Loneliest Planet a must-see for the adventurous cinephile. But style in service is strong, salient themes makes it worthy of year's-best consideration. http://www.johnlikesmovies.com/loneliest-planet-review/

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

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Audience Member

Worst movie I have EVER seen. Shocking

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

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Audience Member

A study in the breakdown of interpersonal communication and those small, crucial moments that can define or destroy a relationship.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

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Julia Loktev

Director

Gael García Bernal

Alex

Hani Furstenberg

Nica

Bidzina Gujabidze

Dato

Tali Pitakhelauri

Guesthouse Mom

Tako Pitakhelauri

Guesthouse Girl

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J. Hoberman

Tablet

A triumphantly visual movie, The Loneliest Planet develops an interplay between freedom and confinement.

May 3, 2016

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David Thomson

The New Republic

You have to see The Loneliest Planet, for it is one of those works that prepares you for life, that make you wary, alive and responsible, and which ... well, you'll never forget it.

Jun 17, 2013

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A.A. Dowd

Time Out Chicago

A relationship drama as radically bifurcated as Tropical Malady and as trenchantly insightful as Everyone Else.

Nov 9, 2012

Full Review

Chris Sosa

Bay Area Reporter

...this one has its share of feisty clinches...

Jun 18, 2020

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Tara Judah

Overland

A far cry from the limitlessness of experimenta and the deliberately jarring and abrasive aesthetic of the avant-garde, Loktev's visual style fits with an atypical narrative mode.

Jan 30, 2019

Full Review

Stephen Saito

Moveable Fest

Benefitting greatly from a fearless performance from Furstenberg, unexpected jolts of humor along the way and Loktev's keen ability to capture the overwhelming power of nature, whether geological or human.

Jan 8, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

An incident on the trail tests two lovers' (Gael García Bernal, Hani Furstenberg) relationship as they take a guided hiking tour through the Caucasus Mountains.

Director: Julia Loktev
Producer: Shelby Alan Brown, Gregory Shockro, Dallas Brennan, Rabinder Sira, Chris Gilligan, Hunter Gray
Screenwriter: Julia Loktev
Distributor: IFC Films
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 26, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $128.5K
Runtime: 1h 53m

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