Owen (Liam Hemsworth) looks serious while listening to Katherine on the streets of New York in Lonely Planet

Liam Hemsworth’s 2024 romantic drama, Lonely Planet, has claimed the top spot on Netflix’s weekly chart. Released direct to the streaming platform on October 11, Lonely Planet tells the story of a successful novelist suffering with writer’s block, played by Laura Dern, who finds love in an exotic place with Hemsworth’s finance manager. The movie, which was written and directed by Academy Award nominee Susannah Grant, also stars Diana Silvers, Younes Boucif, Adriano Giannini, and Rachida Brakni.

Now, in its first full week of availability, Lonely Planet is enjoying success on Netflix, with it hitting the top spot on the streaming platform’s Global Top 10 Movies chart for the week of October 14 to October 20. The movie debuted at #1 on the charts, with 13.7 million views this week, edging out Woman of the Hour, Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare, The Menendez Brothers, Sing, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, The Predator, Unhinged, Jurassic World Dominion, and Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

What Lonely Planet’s Early Netflix Performance Means For Its Future

The Romantic Drama Could Be In For A Long Stint On Netflix

Liam Hemsworth as Owen and Laura Dern as Katherine as they are about to kiss in Lonely Planet
Owen (Liam Hemsworth) and Katherine (Laura Dern) kiss on the streets of New York in Lonely Planet Owen (Liam Hemsworth) and Katherine (Laura Dern) watch the beach in Lonely Planet Liam Hemsworth & Laura Dern talking in the room in Lonely Planet Laura Dern's Katherine on the streets of New York in Lonely PlanetLiam Hemsworth as Owen and Laura Dern as Katherine as they are about to kiss in Lonely Planet Owen (Liam Hemsworth) and Katherine (Laura Dern) kiss on the streets of New York in Lonely Planet Owen (Liam Hemsworth) and Katherine (Laura Dern) watch the beach in Lonely Planet Liam Hemsworth & Laura Dern talking in the room in Lonely Planet Laura Dern's Katherine on the streets of New York in Lonely Planet

The movie is enjoying a strong debut on Netflix, which could have something to do with Lonely Planet‘s cast, pleasant vibe, and easy-to-watch nature. Despite the fact that critical ratings have been poor, it seems to have struck a chord with audiences, and the convenience of at-home streaming could have played a big role in its success. At this stage, it is unclear how long Lonely Planet will remain on the Netflix charts, but the inoffensive and easy-watching nature of romance movies ensures that they typically perform well on streaming services.

Actor
Character

Laura Dern
Katherine Loewe

Liam Hemsworth
Owen Brophy

Diana Silvers
Lily Kemp

Younes Boucif
Rafih Abdo

Adriano Giannini
Ugo Jaconelli

Rachida Brakni
Fatema Benzakour

Shosha Goren
Ada Dohan

Heeba Shah
Jesminder Malik

The good news for Lonely Planet‘s prospects is that, due to the fact it has now climbed to the #1 spot, it is all but guaranteed at least a third week on the chart. In its first week, the movie clocked in at #3. There is a very real chance the movie could spend several more weeks on the list, but with Halloween fast approaching, it is highly likely that more and more horror movies will make their way onto the top 10, and Hemsworth and Dern’s romance could be bumped off the list sooner rather than later.

Our Take On Why Lonely Planet Has Performed So Well

The Status Of Its Leads Has No Doubt Helped The Movie’s Success

Laura Dern as Katherine smiles at Liam Hemsworth's Owen in Lonely Planet

I believe one of the key reasons behind Lonely Planet‘s success is the status of its stars. Hemsworth’s stock is rising, buoyed by his casting in Netflix’s The Witcher season 4, which is set to drop on Netflix sometime next year, and that could have generated more interest in his other projects. Dern is a seasoned pro who needs no introduction, but the streaming success of Jurassic World Dominion (which debuted at #9 on this week’s chart), in which she co-stars, may have increased interest in her other projects, and boosted the success of Lonely Planet.