Lost in Starlight is a vividly colored and urbanized familiar story of finding love and overcoming loss, unbound by planetary restrictions.
Director: Han Ji-won
Genre: Animation, Rom-Com, Sci-Fi
Run Time: 96′
Rated: PG
Release Date: May 30, 2025
Where to Watch: Stream it Globally on Netflix
Netflix trusts its first Korean animated feature in the hands of writer-director Han Ji-won, who builds a vast, colorful metropolis of the future, where two people learn how to overcome their fears and surrender to their pure love for one another. Lost in Starlight tells a story in a way that’s as relevant as ever by superimposing familiar themes of love and loss on top of the vivid and picturesque exteriors of an unfamiliar world in the not-so-distant future.
Amid the technological advancements and innovative space discoveries, the film strikes something inherently human in its protagonists, Nan-young (Kim Tae-ri) and Jay (Hong Kyung).
The year is 2051, and the place is Seoul, urban and warm, glowing under the cherished beauty of natural sunsets but also the light of holographic screens and advertisements. Nan-young is a bright and accomplished pioneer in space travel who struggles to balance her ambitions with her blossoming love for Jay, the charming repair guy and ex-guitarist that dropped into her life as if by fate.
We meet Nan-young as she tries to finish a groundbreaking invention that would help her discover life on Mars and fulfill her dream to be selected for the next Mars probe mission. The previous endeavor on Mars ended up taking away her mother’s life 25 years prior. So, in a way, Nan-young seeks on the foreign planet not only traces of living microorganisms for scientific research but also traces of her mom for her own closure.
While she follows in her well-regarded mother’s footsteps, her relationship with Jay deepens, and he becomes progressively worried that history might repeat itself if the mission goes awry. Nan-young is now at a cosmic crossroad between her ever-expanding feelings of grief for what’s been lost and love for what’s to come. This internal battle is at the root of each conflict that arises within the film and at the heart of Nan-young and Jay’s star-crossed romance.
Even the pivotal scenes for the relationship are symbolically tied back to Nan-young’s mother’s passing and the influence of that event over every moment. From the get-go, when we are first introduced to Jay, he walks through a holographic broadcast about Nan-young’s late mother and bumps clumsily into Nan-young herself exactly then, setting off a chain of events destined to change both of their lives. Nan-young is looking for someone to fix her old record player – an antique that used to belong to her mom – and Jay’s stubbornness to fix it can also be read as a symbolic attempt to mend her relationship with her past.
Because of everything inevitably leading back to Nan-young’s family tragedy, it’s hard to see Jay as much more than a “love interest.” Lost in Starlight would have benefited from rummaging deeper into Jay’s inner world, which would have helped the audience be on board with his journey as much as his girlfriend’s.
Jay’s own journey has to do with the abandonment of his ambitions to be a musician. Once Nan-young reveals she has been unknowingly listening to an old unfinished song of his online, everything floods back and puts him back on the path toward achieving his dreams. We follow that path at the same time as Nan-young embarks on a life-risking mission to conduct some research on another planet. Her fears and insecurities are conveyed with as much magnitude and scale as Jay’s own worries about his return on stage: this keeps both our characters’ journeys on the same playing field. With this decision, director Han Ji-won conveys the universality of what it’s like to be fearful of commitment, wary of following a more difficult path, and to surrender to love.
There’s a fascinating vibrancy to the world-building and the utopian Seoul itself, reminiscent here of an older, more hopeful collective idea of a futuristic city landscape. The creativity and attention to detail make for a unique aesthetic that beautifully complements the interstellar nature of the premise.
Within the larger thematic constellations in Lost in Starlight and the beautiful and vibrant visual style, there remains a simplistic romance about the hardships of falling in love with emotional baggage and how this can affect your life, your career, your significant other. The film is full of recognizable emotions that feel magnified by its grand scale: the consuming experience of overcoming loss, finding love, and coming back to yourself in the process. Despite not all characters being given enough time to shine, Lost in Starlight still leaves you feeling comforted by them and in awe of the artistry behind the animated utopia they inhabit.
Lost in Starlight (Netflix): Movie Plot & Recap
Synopsis:
Astronomer Nan-young struggles to come to terms with a big loss while on the brink of an important career milestone. She begins a relationship with Jay, the repairman who fixes her mom’s old record player. Nan-young and Jay can’t fend off their attraction for each other, but their fears might get in the way of their relationship as Nan-young sets off on a dangerous voyage to Mars.
Pros:
- Beautifully painted, eye-catching landscape of a near-future utopian world.
- A relatable love story that anyone can identify with on various levels.
- A complex and flawed lead female character.
Cons:
- Some corny elements, seen in a lot of romantic movies.
- Not enough screen time and attention devoted to Jay in order to reach the full potential of his character.
Lost in Starlight is now available to stream globally on Netflix.