When scouring the list of all the new movies and shows coming to Hulu this month, there was one that immediately caught my eye. "The Lost City" was just added to the streaming service on Aug. 10, and it's one of my favorite romantic comedies of the past decade. It blends a modern popcorn action flick with a 2000s star-driven rom-com in a way that, while it would never be described in the same breath as "Citizen Kane," is still well-executed and incredibly enjoyable to watch.
So no, you won't find it in our guide to five movies on Hulu this month with a 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes — though critics and audiences alike largely enjoyed this movie — but you might have more fun watching "The Lost City" than any of those choices. Whether you're looking for your next date night movie or just something mindless to watch, this star-powered rom-com will get the job done, and you might even find yourself filing it away as a rewatchable movie the next time you need something dumb and fun.
'The Lost City' is a throwback to the rom-coms of old, with stars who shine
If you're like me, the peak of the romantic comedy genre was the 2000s. Whether it was "Just Friends," "The Proposal" or some other movie starring a pre-Deadpool Ryan Reynolds, these movies were the perfect blend of charming and sexy without being totally cloying or overly sexual. They were as much about the "rom" as they were about the "com."
"The Lost City" is very much in that same vein, and I'm not just saying that because Sandra Bullock starred in both. She is a big reason why both movies work, though. She plays a powerful woman who struggles to be romantic in any way, and yet it's undeniable that she's magnetic despite her awkward, charmless moments. It's something that she is particularly well-suited for and that other rom-com stars of a similar caliber would struggle to do. Julia Roberts, for example, I find, doesn't ever turn off the charm when she delves into this drama.
Bullock's romantic entanglements in both movies are similar in construction as well. In "The Proposal," she's paired with her handsome assistant (played by Reynolds), and in "The Lost City," she's paired with Alan, the handsome cover model of her book series, played perfectly by Channing Tatum, a very smart man who excels at playing charming idiots.
And a charming idiot he is in "The Lost City," but one that you don't struggle to see being able to handle the action set pieces in this movie. You don't need to suspend disbelief to believe that Alan has the physical traits to break Bullock's Loretta Sage free from the clutches of evil billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), even if you might struggle to believe he has the wits to handle high-pressure situations.
Luckily for Alan, though, he's not the brains behind the operation to rescue Loretta from Abigail's heavily guarded island compound. He's instead following the lead of former Navy SEAL Jack Trainer, a CIA operative played by Brad Pitt.
You'll notice that, up to this point, I haven't given you a ton about the plot of "The Lost City." That's because the plot of this rom-com, like any good rom-com, is largely irrelevant. It's just a device to get two or more of this movie's incredible cast in the same room.
Aside from Bullock, Tatum and Pitt, who I'd watch sit in a room and have a conversation for an hour, Radcliffe puts on a more than serviceable performance as the movie's villain, especially in the earlier part of the movie before Alan and Jack start their rescue attempt. The four of them are also supported by Oscar-winner Da'Vine Joy Randolph, whom I'm not sure I've seen be bad in anything, ever.
The action elements of this action comedy are fine, but they're more played for comedic effect than anything. Much like the plot, they're just devices to move the movie forward to another scene where these actors can be together. "The Lost City" is first and foremost a romantic comedy, and if you loved the star-driven rom-coms of the 2000s, it's a must-watch now that you can stream it on Hulu.
Stream "The Lost City" on Hulu now
Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.
Here's what he's been watching lately:
- You’ll live, die and repeat watching this Tom Cruise sci-fi action movie on Peacock
- This seriously underrated mid-2000s sci-fi comedy just dropped on Hulu — I feel so high school
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