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The Lost City
Movie

The Lost City

2022 • Unknown

Woke Score
4
out of 10

Plot

Reclusive author Loretta Sage writes about exotic places in her popular adventure novels that feature a handsome cover model named Alan. While on tour promoting her new book with Alan, Loretta gets kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire who hopes she can lead him to the ancient city's lost treasure that featured in her latest story. Alan, determined to prove he can be a hero in real life and not just on the pages of her books, sets off to rescue her.

Overall Series Review

The Lost City is a lighthearted romantic adventure-comedy that draws heavily from 1980s classics like 'Romancing the Stone.' The plot follows reclusive, scholarly author Loretta Sage, who is kidnapped for her knowledge of an ancient language, and her well-meaning but initially inept cover model, Alan, who tries to rescue her. The film's primary focus is the development of the relationship between the two main characters, moving from Loretta's intellectual snobbery toward Alan to a mutual respect and romance. The story is a straightforward adventure with themes centered on moving past grief and the importance of looking past superficial appearances to see a person's true character and emotional depth. The movie features a diverse supporting cast, including openly LGBTQ+ actors in non-central roles, and a white, wealthy British villain whose motivation is purely material greed. The narrative itself contains little political lecturing and adheres closely to classic genre conventions for an escapist film.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics4/10

The main villain is a wealthy, greedy white British male billionaire. The plot is not driven by themes of systemic oppression or lecturing on privilege. Diversity is present in the supporting cast, notably a Black female publisher and a trans female social media manager, which suggests a deliberate push for representation, but these characters' roles are not defined by an intersectional lens.

Oikophobia3/10

Hostility toward Western civilization is minimal. The main antagonist, a British billionaire, embodies a critique of materialist greed and the colonial-era desire to plunder ancient treasures. However, this trope is a common feature of the adventure genre and does not frame American/Western culture as fundamentally corrupt or demonize ancestors. The lost city's true nature is a monument to love, offering a critique of mere materialism, not a civilizational indictment.

Feminism5/10

Loretta is the brilliant, intellectual, and resourceful hero, while Alan is initially presented as a bumbling, emotionally sensitive model whose physical attractiveness is constantly objectified. This setup is a clear role reversal for comedic effect. Alan's character arc involves him finding his courage and developing a protective masculinity, while Loretta must overcome her emotional isolation and elitism. The film concludes with a traditional, complementary romantic pairing, which reduces the overall 'Girl Boss' effect.

LGBTQ+5/10

The film features characters played by openly LGBTQ+ actors in prominent, non-plot-centric supporting roles, such as the social media manager and a book tour moderator. This indicates a strong push for queer-inclusive casting by the filmmakers. However, the plot's central romance and narrative structure are heteronormative, and the film does not engage in deconstructing the nuclear family or overtly promoting gender ideology to children.

Anti-Theism1/10

There is no narrative content that suggests hostility toward religion, specifically Christianity, or that frames traditional faith as a source of evil or bigotry. Morality is based on universal principles where greed is bad and selfless love/courage is good. The film adheres to a classic, objective moral framework typical of adventure romance stories.