Lost in Starlight (2025)
★★★½ — Lost in Starlight (2025)
Lost in Starlight is a South Korean animated romance from director Han Ji-won, produced through a collaboration between Climax Studios, Red Dog Culture House, and SLL, the content arm of the Lotte group. It arrives at a moment when Korean animation is pushing well beyond its long reputation as a production-for-hire industry, with domestic studios increasingly developing original IP rather than servicing Hollywood projects. The film pairs Kim Tae-ri (best known internationally for The Handmaiden and Twenty-Five Twenty-One) with Hong Kyung and Sharon Kwon, lending it a cast more associated with prestige live-action drama than animation. At 96 minutes, it sits comfortably in the modest, single-sitting register that Korean streaming-era romance tends to favour.
Lost in Starlight is an absolute visual triumph. A Korean Netflix animated film that feels less like something you watch and more like a dream you’ve slipped into. The artwork is, without exaggeration, some of the most breathtaking animation I’ve ever seen. Every frame is painted with such delicate detail, the shimmer of starlight on water, the glow of distant galaxies, the way characters move through mist and memory, it’s like watching poetry in motion. This isn’t just anime; it’s art-house cinema floating on light and colour. The story follows two souls who meet, fall in love and then separate between earth and mars. It's a tender, melancholic love story that unfolds with quiet grace. The romance isn’t rushed; it’s built on glances, silences, and shared moments that feel deeply human, even in such a surreal world. The voice acting (in the original Korean) is subtle and heartfelt, and the soundtrack soars with haunting melodies that pull at your chest. It’s the kind of score you’ll want to listen to on repeat at 2 a.m. The only downside is it's a little predictable. I saw the finale coming, and that’s the only reason it’s not a full 5 stars. But even knowing where it was headed, I was moved. There’s a warmth and emotional honesty here that transcends the familiar beats. Gorgeous, soulful, and unforgettable. A masterpiece of mood and beauty.
Rating: ★★★½ | Year: 2025 | Watched: 2025-09-07
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Netflix · Netflix Standard with Ads
Physical: Amazon UK
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Related on Movies With Macca
More with Kim Tae-ri: The Handmaiden (2016)
More from South Korea: Memories of Murder (2003) · Peninsula (2020) · The Handmaiden (2016) · Yellow Colt (2014)
More from the 2020s: Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025) · The Long Walk (2025) · Americana (2023)
More animation: Fantastic Planet (1973) · Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025)
More romance: The Eagle (1925) · The Last Picture Show (1971) · The General (1926) · The Docks of New York (1928)
