In the Lost Lands is rated R by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA) for violent.
Violence & Gore: The action scenes include fight scenes with weapons such as swords, and fights with fists as well as fight with the supernatural beings.
Warriors are depicted fighting and getting annihilated but there is little emphasis on bloodshed.
Carnage in a cable car where characters get thrown off over a gorge.
Wizards and witches fight with magical powers and these include; transformations to half-werewolf half-witch forms.
There are bloody scenes like impalement, stabbing, and even dismemberment, but they are toned down because of the overuse of computer-generated imagery.
The Church army kills people and does so in a ceremonial fashion, which infuses a sense of horror into the picture.
Sex & Nudity: Here we see Boyce, the actor portrayed by Dave Bautista, as a womanizer. It has some making out but there are no sexual scenes depicted.
Slightly more of a sexual subplot between Gray Alys and Boyce, but it is not expanded upon very much.
Queen Melange has a romantic subplot with a dying husband and a secret lover with some scenes that imply intimacy but no exposed skin.
There are clothes that resemble underwear and some of the female characters wear very revealing steampunk armor, but there is no actual sex in the game.
Profanity: Maybe this is the part I don’t like the most, some of the torrents contain strong language like f**k plus other different types of bad words.
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: There is no use or depiction of drugs, although there are some references to substances in some of the dialogues.
Overall Parental Recommendation: Due to frequent violence, strong language, suggestive themes, and supernatural horror elements, In the Lost Lands is not suitable for children or younger teens.
In the Lost Lands Movie Summary
Ever wondered what it would be like to explore a ruined world filled with witches, werewolves, and a steampunk church army? In the Lost Lands promises to take you on that wild ride, but buckle up—it’s a bumpy journey. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (the mind behind Resident Evil), this fantasy adventure is based on a short story by George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones fans, take note!). While the idea sounds epic, the execution feels more like a low-budget video game than a cinematic masterpiece.
Being a post-apocalyptic world where human population is condensed to a single city surrounded by dangerous and mysterious territories called the “Lost Lands”. It starts with Gray Alys (Milla Jovovich), a witch who can control people with her eyes, joining forces with Boyce (Dave Bautista), a burly hunter who uses a two-headed snake. Together they work for Queen Melange, played by Amara Okereke, to get back the powers of a shapeshifting witch to enable her transform into a wolf. But of course, it’s not that simple– The Church, led by The Patriarch (Fraser James) and his enforcer (Arly Jover), is hot on their trail, determined to bring down the prophetic duo.
I would say In the Lost Lands has elements of fantasy, western and steampunk which are however not fully developed into these sub-genres. It’s sort of like seeing a live-action cut scene out of a 90’s video game featuring Mad Max and The Witcher. The Special Effects are grossly subpar, which gives the fantasy world a Cartoonish feel rather than the gritty feel of a real world. The scenery is flat, the fight sequences are tame, and yet, the main antagonist, a skeleton army — Yes, a skeleton army — doesn’t quite cut it. While there are some interesting moments, such as the battle on a cable car which moves over a large chasm, the overall impression here is that of unoriginal and boring action sequences.
What works?:
As for the lead actors, Milla Jovovich and Dave Bautista, their performances are quite mediocre; the passion seems to be lacking at times and their sexual tension is believable only at best. Some of the elements featured: Gray Alys is depicted as this mysterious n powerful witch but her character never gets the depth that it should. Boyce is presented as a womanizer and a flirt, with no real depth, which is especially apparent when he is described as negotiating with every woman he comes across, but such detail is not further explored, leaving Boyce as a stereotype. It also has some philosophic ideas, such as the battle between The Church and the beggars, or the shades of gray in the mission of Gray Alys and Boyce, but none of them is developed thoroughly.
What doesn’t work?:
There are simply too many sub-plots and too many characters, which confuses the intended story. First, Queen Melange’s plot with the soap opera like story about her dying husband and her lover is not consistent with rest of the setting and characters and secondly the steampunk theme of The Church do not blend well with rest of the western and fantasy genre. The interactions look artificial, and the rhythm is irregular – some episodes are overstretched, while others are packed with incidents. The major problem with this movie, though, is that it is not a coherent story; it feels like the screenwriter knew how it began and how it was to end, but that’s as far as it went.
The Video Game Vibe:
If you are familiar with the RPGs of mid-2000s you might feel nostalgic and familiar while playing In the Lost Lands. they travel from place to place like “Trading Post,” “Shadows Bane,” and “Skull River” as if they are fulfilling missions in a game. Instead of giving an entrancing feel, it comes off as monotonous and uninteresting. They even stage a fight, Gray Alys and Boyce against a skeleton army which should be awesome but simply looks like something out of a subpar game cut scene.
Who might enjoy this?:
If you are into cheesy B-movies or like watching fantasy adventures like Witcher or Mad Max, then you might have something to look forward to in this one. There are some fun elements, such as the cable car fight and some lighter scenes here and there, but this largely does not redeem the movie experience. It’s also worth seeing if you like Milla Jovovich or Dave Bautista, though they aren’t at their best here.
Final Verdict:
In the Lost Lands is an inconsistent duity—brilliant concept, but flawed. It could have been the ultimate ’80s adventure flick, but its plot is overly cliché, the graphics are mediocre, and it’s much too slow for its own good. But for those of you who are lovers of tragedy and drama, this is a lovely little film to watch with your friends without having to think too much. But if you are expecting the next great epic that will melt your heart, this will not be it. Rating: 2/5
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Writers: Paul W.S. Anderson, George R. R. Martin, Constantin Werner
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Dave Bautista, Arly Jover, Fraser James, Simon Lööf, Deirdre Mullins
Release Date: March7, 2025