Lost River

Name: Lost River
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Fantasy
Released: April 10, 2015
Duration: 95 min
Rating: 42
Cast: Christina Hendricks, Eva Mendes, Iain De Caestecker, Matt Smith, Saoirse Ronan

2015

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 21 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 76 Ratings

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6.8

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6.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 76 Ratings

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Lost River

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. | Release Date: April 10, 2015 | R

Starring: Christina Hendricks, Eva Mendes, Iain De Caestecker, Matt Smith, Saoirse Ronan

Summary: Set against the surreal dreamscape of a vanishing city, Billy (Christina Hendricks), a single mother of two, is swept into a macabre and dark fantasy underworld while her teenage son, Bones, discovers a secret road leading to an underwater town. Both Billy and Bones must dive deep into the mystery if their family is to survive.

Director: Ryan Gosling

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Fantasy

Rating: R

Runtime: 95 min

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Critic Reviews

Ben Kenigsberg

Apr 9, 2015

Lost River ponders people and places left behind in the name of progress. Slyly political, it observes the mortgage crisis through a warped looking glass. The cinematographer, Benoît Debie, finds a perverse beauty in the decline. Read full review

Film.com Jordan Hoffman

May 20, 2014

Ryan Gosling wanted to make an art film and, despite some dull patches, pretty much succeeded. Read full review

John Bleasdale

May 26, 2014

This is the kind of oddball midnight movie that could easily gain a cult following and there are delights to be had in the midst. Read full review

IndieWire Eric Kohn

May 26, 2014

Rather than making his own movie, Gosling has composed a messy love letter to countless others. Read full review

Matt Glasby

Apr 6, 2015

Coasting on charismatic performances and a quality crew, Gosling’s debut proves two things: screenwriting is hard, and stylish and stylised are very different things. Read full review

Todd McCarthy

May 26, 2014

The visuals are undeniably dreamy, but they mostly seem borrowed from other filmmakers’ dreams. Read full review

Justin Chang

May 26, 2014

A risible slab of Detroit gothic that marks an altogether inauspicious writing-directing debut for Ryan Gosling. Read full review

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User Reviews

Juttybomb

Apr 10, 2015

The intro cuts, shot choices, color tones, neons, the shallow dof shots, and wide angle shots are incredible.
Ryan truly made Detroit a character. Yes there are influences of Refn, Cianfrance, and Malick, but shouldn't there be? I even felt a little bit of Harmony Korine. Ryan is a talentedThe intro cuts, shot choices, color tones, neons, the shallow dof shots, and wide angle shots are incredible.
Ryan truly made Detroit a character. Yes there are influences of Refn, Cianfrance, and Malick, but shouldn't there be? I even felt a little bit of Harmony Korine. Ryan is a talented and dedicated actor, he spent the time while on set with these directors to learn from them, no surprise that his directorial debut would show their influence. Ryan is also a musician, and the number that Ben Mendelsohn does with what I believe to be Ryans voice or at least written song is electrifying. Eva Mendes is underrated period, she killed in A Place Beyond the Pines, and her talent to convey strong emotion with little to no words is seen again in this film. All in all, the movie was casted perfect, hats off to the casting director and Ryan. The story is one of the directors narrative, which is what film should be. Viewers need to learn to appreciate movies for moments and originality, rather then hold every film they see to summer blockbuster standers or cookie cutter scripts. This movie is a cinematic art installation, and a look into Goslings storytelling mind. I'm sure it will be a cult classic, and nevertheless how dope is it that a leading actors brain works like that? I mean imagine this film for the generations to come, and the body of work Gosling will leave behind? How cool would it have been if James Dean would have made a film like this? Pay attention to the monologues and writing in this film, its phenomenal. I hope he directs more films in his career, and this film deserves a wider release. Hollywood sometimes under appreciates, as well as doesn't give the credit certain artist deserve because they won't do studio movies or be a puppet. This is a great movie, and I hope more people have the opportunity to see it. - Jutt DaRe… Expand

6 of 7 users found this helpful61

Debaser7

Oct 7, 2016

weird and wonderful, ambitious, greatly acted, with a modern fairy-tale like story. I don't know how anyone can hate this film. Critics give positive reviews to all these terrible Marvel and Fast and Furious movies, but sh*t on something well made and original

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

edoorlando

May 9, 2016

I totally enjoyed this movie by the first time, but even much by the second time of watching. The influences from other directors, especially Nicolas Winding Refn, are a lot. But I like it how they all together mixed up in what Lost River is. Lost River is full of beautiful shots (especiallyI totally enjoyed this movie by the first time, but even much by the second time of watching. The influences from other directors, especially Nicolas Winding Refn, are a lot. But I like it how they all together mixed up in what Lost River is. Lost River is full of beautiful shots (especially the opening sequence). At the end Lost River left me with the same feeling as Only God Forgives, you either like those "dream", art like movies or you hate them. I'm one of those who loves them.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

thepunisher65

May 29, 2015

Ryan Gosling's Lost River may not be the most admired movie in the genre but sure is an esteemed effort by the first time director. With some prudent direction, meaningful characters & an impressive score, Lost River can be venerated as a decent fictional mystery, but only catering to aRyan Gosling's Lost River may not be the most admired movie in the genre but sure is an esteemed effort by the first time director. With some prudent direction, meaningful characters & an impressive score, Lost River can be venerated as a decent fictional mystery, but only catering to a limited audience.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

beingryanjude

May 16, 2015

Bizarre, disturbing and occasionally uncomfortable, yet Lost River isn't necessarily bad. It's well casted and explores a visually and thematically diverse environment. If anything else, it proves Ryan Gosling's promise--with potential for cinematic gold to come.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

LowbrowCinema

Apr 12, 2015

Not at all the disaster claimed at Cannes, Ryan Gosling's directing debut LOST RIVER is actually quite captivating but it feels like a film from a sophomore at NYU. Too many missed ops that make you think of far better fillms esp from David Lynch. And like so many first time filmmakers,Not at all the disaster claimed at Cannes, Ryan Gosling's directing debut LOST RIVER is actually quite captivating but it feels like a film from a sophomore at NYU. Too many missed ops that make you think of far better fillms esp from David Lynch. And like so many first time filmmakers, Gosling keeps cutting away from all his great scenes. Not much to write about.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

MattBrady99

Apr 10, 2015

Focus more on story more than visuals or your movie isn't going to make any sense or even going anywhere, just stuck in it's own tracks Gosling.

The story is about a single mother is swept into a dark underworld while her son discovers an underwater town. I was interested in Lost RiverFocus more on story more than visuals or your movie isn't going to make any sense or even going anywhere, just stuck in it's own tracks Gosling.

The story is about a single mother is swept into a dark underworld while her son discovers an underwater town.

I was interested in Lost River every since it's first teaser trailer by it's fairy tale imagery and with the repeating words of "Look at my muscles", by Matt Smith . But after hearing the negative reviews and the fact that this movie was booed at the Cannes film festival. After seeing the movie I can see what Ryan Gosling was trying to reach but it didn't really mash well on screen and the overall result is a mess of film and I'm not here to hate on Gosling as I had hope for him and maybe he can do a better directed movie in the future.

Ryan Gosling directing in the movie was meh, and the whole time I noticed he worked on the visuals and the look of the movie which by the looks great but still I felt the focus was only on that and not the whole film, I might be wrong or not. Ryan has worked with many directors in his career with the same style but I think he really took the style and version that Nicolas Winding Refn had with Only God Forgives and I wouldn't call it a bad thing as some critics are making it out to be, it's just a actor starting directing who wants to be like another director he worked with to get the directing career started.

Matt Smith (Or Doctor from Doctor Who to those who seen the show) is also in this movie and he was actually pretty good and honestly the best part of this movie for me.

The movie itself has this fair tale dream look to it with it's visual's and I think the perfect director who would have made this movie much better is David Lynch as his movies do have a dream like look to it which would worked more in Lost River, because to be honest the movie felt like a bore at times showing pretty imagery and no weight to it which still remains forgettable.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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