Lost in Paradise
Two vulnerable men seek love and dignity amid betrayal, homelessness, and the unforgiving margins of Ho Chi Minh City.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- empathetic
- melancholic
- intimate
- reflective evening
- lgbtq+ cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly valued the film's groundbreaking, realistic, and empathetic treatment of gay life and marginalized characters, while finding its parallel subplot and romantic storyline uneven or predictable.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lam and Khoi develop an emotionally complicated relationship amid homelessness, prostitution, betrayal, and social fear.
The Lam-Khoi plot runs alongside Cuoi's attempts to befriend and protect a prostitute abandoned by her family and exploited by pimps.
The film was recognized as Vietnam's first gay film and as a frank, humane portrayal of gay life in the country.
Khoi takes menial jobs after being robbed, while Lam returns to the streets and survives through prostitution.
Films like Lost in Paradise, and why
Weekend
shared lgbtq+ romance, urban marginality, sex work, and intimate social realism
The Living End
shared gay romance, alienation, class precarity, and emotionally direct independent drama
My Own Private Idaho
shared queer identity, prostitution, outsider solidarity, and compassion for socially marginalized characters
The Way He Looks
shared lgbtq+ themes, social stigma, and humane realist storytelling centered on outsiders
Movie Details
- Director
- Vũ Ngọc Đãng
- Release Date
- 2011-09-01
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 5.1 / 10 (14)
Cast
- Lương Mạnh Hải
- Hồ Vĩnh Khoa
- Linh Sơn
- Phương Thanh
- Hiếu Hiền
Common questions
- What is Lost in Paradise about?
- Two vulnerable men seek love and dignity amid betrayal, homelessness, and the unforgiving margins of Ho Chi Minh City.
- What is Lost in Paradise like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Lost in Paradise as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Lost in Paradise violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Lost in Paradise as moderate.
- What did critics think of Lost in Paradise?
- Critics broadly valued the film's groundbreaking, realistic, and empathetic treatment of gay life and marginalized characters, while finding its parallel subplot and romantic storyline uneven or predictable.
- Which films are like Lost in Paradise?
- Films with a similar feel include Weekend, The Living End, My Own Private Idaho, and The Way He Looks.
- How long is Lost in Paradise?
- Lost in Paradise runs 103 minutes.
