In the Lost Lands (2025)

 

"Better than BORDERLANDS"

Director Paul W S Anderson's latest attempt to make you wonder why he's still being given money to make films is getting a 4KUHD, Blu-ray, DVD and VOD release from Studio Canal.

On an world where an apocalypse has turned everything into sepia-tinted green-screen and CGI, a sexy and most likely evil queen (Amara Okereke) charges Gray Alys, 'The Witch They Could Not Hang', (Milla Jovovich) with the task of bringing her a shapeshifter so she can also acquire the skill. Alys teams up with gunslinger Boyce (Dave Bautista) and together they set off across a visually-enhanced landscape, all the while being pursued by representatives of the land's church who want to stop them. 

Based on a short story by George R R Martin, IN THE LOST LANDS is by the numbers fetch quest sort of stuff, and there's nothing wrong with that. In fact in the right hands this could have been a lot of entertaining fun. Instead, however, this is more like one of those ads you see for video games with the disclaimer 'Not actual gameplay footage' in tiny letters at the bottom, only one that is 101 minutes long.

The story is simple and straightforward and yet the storytelling gets needlessly complicated with unnecessary info-dumps, maps and regular onscreen reminders of time passing. Our heroes' encounters with a variety of colourful characters along the way offer multiple opportunities for B movie-level guest star cameos. Needless to say, there are none. The pacing is poor, and much of the acting and editing wouldn't even be considered passable in more 'adult'-themed productions out there. 

For those out there who need to see everything, IN THE LOST LANDS is probably on an enjoyment (and intelligibility) level equal with Justin Kurzel's 2016 ASSASSIN'S CREED. The fact it doesn't feature a talking Jack Black robot elevates it above Eli Roth's BORDERLANDS but that's not exactly something to be proud of. Here's the trailer:

Paul W S Anderson's IN THE THE LOST LANDS is out on digital platforms now and on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD and VOD on Monday 2nd June 2025