Film

The Lost City

Name: The Lost City
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Released: 2022
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Brad Pitt

Treasure hunt
Light-hearted

A romantic adventure comedy where a reclusive romance novelist and her cover model get swept into a real jungle adventure. It's a loving parody of pulpy adventure stories with genuine chemistry between the leads, escalating absurdity, and enough action to justify the premise. For anyone who wants laughs without meanness and spectacle without pretension.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like a treasure-hunt caper where the banter carries the weight, the two leads have real chemistry, and the plot is a comfortable excuse for wisecracks.

Skip it if the plot is a flimsy scaffold, so if you need tight stakes and a carefully built story, its looseness will frustrate you; it also leans on broad, cartoonish slapstick.

What it asks of you: Roughly two hours of easy, bouncy company: quick cuts between location set-pieces and sharp dialogue, with little demand to track intricate plotting.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Romancing the Stone1984

The template this lovingly remakes: a writer thrust into real danger, a reluctant partnership that becomes genuine romance, jungle action played for both thrills and laughs. Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas crackle.

But The pacing is slower than modern comedies, and some of the gender politics feel dated even by 80s standards.

The Proposal2009

Sandra Bullock plays a prickly woman forced into proximity with a good-looking man who's kinder than he seems. Same warmth, same chemistry, same formula done perfectly. Pure pleasure.

But It's fundamentally conventional rom-com architecture. If formulaic plotting bothers you, this won't change your mind.

Jungle Cruise2021

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt on a boat down the Amazon with an impossible mission and mounting chaos. The same tone: adventure that doesn't take itself seriously, banter that lands, and genuine affection between leads.

But The CGI creatures are notably unconvincing, and the plot mechanics creak audibly in the final act.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Lost City

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Jewel of the Nile1985

Both films are love letters to pulp adventure rather than parodies of it. They want you to believe in the danger AND the romance AND the absurdity, all at once.

The sequel to Romancing the Stone, but stands alone as a masterclass in adventure-comedy. The connection: Loretta and Alan are the spiritual heirs to Joan and Jack. Both films genuinely believe in the adventure while laughing at the genre's excess.

But This is explicitly a 1985 film in every way—the look, the music, the rhythm. If you need your action contemporary, this will feel quaint.

Midnight Run1988

Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin forced to travel together in escalating danger. Road movie structure, characters who irritate each other into friendship, and comedy that serves the relationship rather than overwhelming it.

But It's notably dated in look and feel. Modern audiences sometimes find the pacing baggy compared to contemporary action-comedies.

Enchanted2007

A fairy-tale romance that knows it's a fairy-tale romance, with Patrick Dempsey playing the straight man to the absurdity. Self-aware fantasy adventure with a heroine who grows smarter, not dumber, as the story progresses.

But If you hate whimsy or musical numbers, this will feel insufferable rather than charming.

Bullets Over Broadway1994

Woody Allen's frothy heist-adjacent comedy about theater people in over their heads. Intricate ensemble cast, rapid-fire dialogue, adventure in chaos. The pleasure is pure watching—no deep meaning required.

But Allen's directorial style is dated, and the humor is very specifically his brand of neurotic New York comedy. It won't land if his voice annoys you.

The Mummy1999

Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in a love letter to adventure serials. It's funny, it's thrilling, it's unapologetically fun. The action is inventive and the chemistry is electric. This is what inspired The Lost City directly.

But CGI from this era is noticeably primitive now. Some find the tone uneven—it shifts between genuine danger and slapstick unpredictably.

The Adam Project2022

Ryan Reynolds and Mark Ruffalo on a time-travel adventure with quips, heart, and escalating stakes. Similar DNA: two men forced together, banter that actually makes you laugh, action that serves the relationship.

But It's built on a sci-fi plot that doesn't quite hold together. The third act resorts to exposition dumping and sentiment over logic.

National Treasure2004

Nicolas Cage chasing historical puzzles across America with charm and genuine adventure instincts. It doesn't mock adventure—it indulges it. Earnest, fast-paced, with real stakes and real fun happening simultaneously.

But The plot is convoluted to the point of incoherence. You'll spend more energy following the treasure hunt than actually enjoying it.

Overboard1987

Both hinge on a partnership between people from different worlds where mutual respect builds into real affection. Both prove chemistry matters more than plot logic.

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell in a premise that shouldn't work but becomes genuinely moving. A rich woman loses her memory; a carpenter convinces her she's his wife. It's hilarious, then tender, then hilarious again. Unexpected emotional depth.

But The gender politics of the setup are troubling—it's basically about a man lying to a woman repeatedly, and the film asks you to find it romantic rather than creepy.