‘In the Lost Lands’ Is Even Worse Than ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8

Season 8 of Game of Thrones is widely considered to be one of the greatest blunders in television history. Game of Thrones was based on the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin. However, Martin famously still has not finished the series as of 2025, meaning when it came time to finish the show, it was up to the showrunners to make decisions. The result was a final season that angered loyal fans to no end. Of course, the only reason why Game of Thrones was able to have such a cataclysmic finale was that the early seasons were so comparatively excellent and so unanimously popular. At least people were watching.

The same cannot necessarily be said of the most recent George R.R. Martin adaptation, In the Lost Lands. The 2025 film version of Martin’s fantasy short story is now streaming on Hulu, and it gives the Game of Thrones ending a serious run for its money.

What Is ‘In the Lost Lands’ About?

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“Make no mistake. This is no fairytale. And this is no happy ending.” — Dave Bautista as Boyce, eerily close to the camera at the start of In the Lost World

In the Lost Lands begins very subtly (sarcasm) with a fourth wall break by our protagonist, a man named Boyce, played by Dave Bautista. He tells us that things are not so good in this dystopian world, and that this story is not going to end happily (which is confusing, because of sort of does? But I digress). Basically, the Earth has been overtaken by the Church and is now ruled by an evil Overlord. Now, rogues roam the wasteland trying to escape the tyranny of the Overlord, his Queen, and their Enforcer.

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One such rogue is a witch named Gray Alys (Milla Jovovich). After she nearly escapes hanging at the hands of the Enforcer, Gray Alys is recruited by the Queen herself to find a werewolf shapeshifter. Gray Alys cannot do this alone, so she seeks out the help of Boyce. Together, the two descend into the realm to find a shapeshifter and appease the Queen, encountering a bevy of monsters and plot twists along the way. If the premise sounds confusing, that’s because it is. It only gets crazier from there.

Why Was ‘In the Lost Lands’ Such a Flop?

Dave Bautista and Milla Jovavich in In The Lost Lands — Vertical

Well, if you are like me, it probably completely passed you by that In the Lost Lands came out in the first place. This feels notable, considering every other time an adaptation of Martin’s work is released, people act like it is a national holiday. Not to mention, In the Lost Lands stars the rather likable and marketable pair of Dave Bautista and Milla Jovovich.

So, what happened? For one, there were logistical signs. The film has been in development since 2015, with several iterations and concepts coming to the forefront and being shelved over the last decade. Finally, director Paul W.S. Anderson had an idea that won out, a “western set in a post-apocalyptic land.” In the Lost Lands was then delayed several more times, and was wrapped entirely in 2023 after only 46 days of shooting. The movie would then enter post-production purgatory for several years. In a delightfully fun fact, it was once slated to be released in Megalopolis’ release slot, but was pushed back once more to make room for more Emersonian minds.

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In the Lost Lands was eventually released in theaters on March 7, 2025. It grossed about $6 million total against a budget of $55 million. On Rotten Tomatoes, it currently has a 24% audience score and a 47% critic score. Clearly, it was no Red Wedding moment. Why did people hate it so much? Above all, In the Lost Lands just looks terrible. It is hard to explain just how much of an eyesore this movie is in words. It does not even look like it was made in 2025, but rather maybe 2002? And also looks like a music video for a political rock band?

Beyond looking eerily like Repo: The Genetic Opera, In The Lost Lands simply lacks the inherent entertainment value that Martin’s other properties have. The lackluster world-building does very little to bring you in and is rather discombobulating. All this, combined with the fact that none of the characters are worth caring about, creates a rather boring viewing experience, something that was hard to say about Game of Thrones, even at the end. Not even America’s sweetheart Dave Bautista could save In The Lost Lands from aggressive middleness, but if you don’t believe me, stream it for yourself on Hulu now.