Lost in Starlight (2025)

South Korean cinema has spent the better part of two decades building one of the most consistently exciting national film industries in the world, and animation has been no exception to that momentum. Memories of Murder (2003) and A Bittersweet Life (2005) are fine reminders of just how wide the country's genre range runs, and Lost in Starlight represents something else again: a 2025 animated romance from director Han Ji-won that pitches itself firmly at the art-house end of the spectrum, using science fiction as an emotional rather than spectacular framework. The premise is straightforward enough, an astronaut departs Earth on a mission to Mars, and the immense, indifferent distance of space becomes the force that separates two people in love. It is the kind of story that lives or dies on feeling rather than plot mechanics, and Han Ji-won appears to have designed every frame with that in mind.

The production carries real institutional weight behind it. Climax Studios, Red Dog Culture House and SLL are the studios involved, and the film runs at a trim 96 minutes, which is a sensible choice for material that depends on atmosphere and restraint. Han Ji-won is working in a genre that demands a particular kind of visual patience, and comparisons to other animation-led works that prioritise mood over action feel relevant here. If you have spent any time with Josep (2020), another animated film that treats its medium as a vehicle for quiet, adult emotion, you will have some sense of the register Lost in Starlight appears to be aiming for, though the Korean production's science fiction setting and scale give it its own distinct character.

The voice cast brings considerable credibility to the project. Kim Tae-ri leads, an actress whose range will be familiar to anyone who has seen The Handmaiden (2016), where she announced herself as a performer capable of enormous emotional precision. She is joined by Hong Kyung, Sharon Kwon, Kang Ku-han and An Young-mi, a cast that suggests the film is after something genuinely felt rather than purely decorative. Animation often asks voice performers to work with very little physical feedback, and the quality of the ensemble here is the kind of detail that tends to matter more than it might first appear.

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.

And honestly, the predictability is a fair point, but it did not stop the film landing the way it clearly intended to. For me, a romance that knows where it is going and still makes you feel the weight of it is doing something right. There is a discipline in that, a confidence that the journey matters more than the surprise. I came away from Lost in Starlight thinking less about the plot mechanics and more about specific images, specific sounds, the way the score seemed to settle somewhere behind the sternum and stay there. Not every film needs to wrong-foot you. Some just need to be beautiful and true, and this one is both.

Rating: ★★★½  | Year: 2025  | Watched: 2025-09-07

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Trailer

▶ Watch the official trailer for Lost in Starlight (2025) on YouTube

Where to watch

Watch in the UK
Stream: Netflix · Netflix Standard with Ads
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi

Watch in the US
Stream: Netflix · Netflix Standard with Ads
Physical: Amazon US

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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)