Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- brooding
- eerie
- surreal
- late night arthouse viewing
- halloween season
What critics said
Critics found Ryan Gosling's debut visually ambitious and potentially promising but too shapeless, derivative, and indulgent to succeed as a coherent film.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The abandoned city, curse-like history, macabre attractions, and heightened imagery make the film feel like a dark fairy tale.
Lost River is a virtually abandoned city threatened by demolition, while Billy struggles to preserve her childhood home and family.
The house of horrors, macabre underworld, surreal performances, and stylized desolation dominate the film's presentation.
Billy's effort to save her home and hold together her children provides the central emotional conflict.
Films like Lost River, and why
Blue Velvet
surreal mystery, decaying spaces, dreamlike menace, and Lynchian atmosphere
The Neon Demon
stylized neon noir, grotesque underworld, and fairy-tale violence
Mulholland Drive
mythic urban decay, enigmatic symbolism, and dark fantasy mood
The City of Lost Children
desolate landscapes, heightened violence, and surreal genre imagery
Movie Details
- Director
- Ryan Gosling
- Release Date
- 2015-04-08
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (651)
Cast
- Christina Hendricks
- Iain De Caestecker
- Saoirse Ronan
- Eva Mendes
- Matt Smith
- Ben Mendelsohn
- Reda Kateb
- Barbara Steele
- Landyn Stewart
- Rob Zabrecky
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Lost River about?
- In a dying city haunted by buried secrets, a mother and her teenage son navigate a macabre underworld to protect their family and home.
- What is Lost River like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Lost River as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Lost River violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Lost River as brutal.
- What did critics think of Lost River?
- Critics found Ryan Gosling's debut visually ambitious and potentially promising but too shapeless, derivative, and indulgent to succeed as a coherent film.
- Which films are like Lost River?
- Films with a similar feel include Blue Velvet, The Neon Demon, Mulholland Drive, and The City of Lost Children.
- How long is Lost River?
- Lost River runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch Lost River?
- In United States, Lost River is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
