Lost in Starlight Review (2025): Animated Korean Romance in Space

Genre(s) – Animation, Romance, Sci-Fi
Director – Han Ji-won
Writers – Han Ji-won, Kang Hyun-joo
Main Cast – Kim Tae-ri, Hong Kyung, Kang Koo-han, Ahn Young-mi, Sharon Kwon, Yun A-yeong, David John Robbins, Jang Mi
Runtime – 96 Minutes
My Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆☆☆

Lost in Starlight is available to Stream and watch exclusively on Netflix.

Lost in Starlight may not blow you away emotionally, but it is quietly heartfelt.

Lost in Starlight is a calm, sincere little sci-fi love story that respects its characters and the audience. It’s not perfect, but it’s got a kind of gentle honesty I didn’t know I missed until now.

Plot Summary of Lost in Starlight (Spoiler-Free)

Lost in Starlight is set in a not-so-distant future where space travel is becoming more normalized, though still dangerous. The story follows Nan, a young woman whose mother was a celebrated astronaut.

Unfortunately, during one of humanity’s proudest missions, her mom becomes its only casualty. The world cheers; Nan grieves. Still, she decides to follow in her mom’s footsteps and work in space exploration.

Her bosses, in true “we know what’s best for you” fashion, decide she needs a break and bench her. But Nan isn’t exactly someone who takes no for an answer. While trying to claw her way back into the astronaut program, she meets Jay, a technician who used to be a musician before life did what life does and complicated things.

The two bond, fall in love, and eventually have to face the harsh reality: when one person’s dream takes them off the planet, how does love stay grounded?

Lost in Starlight: Gentle and Grounded and Worth a One Time Watch

Lost in Starlight is not going to leave you sobbing on your couch or change the way you see animated films, but I suspect it will leave you with a soft smile and that slightly heavier feeling in your chest that means the story hit the right note.

This movie doesn’t rush to impress you. It doesn’t chase fireworks or melodrama, and I kind of admire that. It’s like the film is saying, “I know I’m not flashy, but if you stick around, I’ve got something real for you.”

The romance, for one, is handled with a surprising amount of maturity. Nan and Jay don’t immediately fall into each other’s arms, and they definitely don’t exist just to fulfill some cheesy “opposites attract” fantasy. There’s a real emotional rhythm to their relationship, a push and pull that feels natural, even when the story drifts into familiar territory.

What really worked for me was how grounded everything is. Even though we’re talking about space missions and high-tech work environments, the film never leans too hard on the sci-fi. It keeps the focus on the people.

I’ve seen way too many romance stories (especially animated ones) that get so lost in the style or fantasy that they forget to make the characters, you know, relatable humans.

But Lost in Starlight isn’t perfect either. For starters, Jay’s whole music subplot is kinda dull. I get the point that his music is his passion, just like Nan has hers, but when one of them is literally trying to get into space and the other is nervously tuning a guitar, it’s not exactly balanced.

The movie tries to parallel their arcs, but the stakes just aren’t equal. Sorry Jay, but Nan’s fighting bureaucracy, personal trauma, and zero gravity. You’re fighting writer’s block.

The music in the film is fine, without being that memorable either. Considering music is a key theme, I was hoping for at least one “oh wow” track. Instead, we get some moody background pieces and a song or two that are just okay. Nothing I’m adding to a playlist anytime soon.

The animation is generally strong, especially when it comes to textures. Clothes look great, movements are smooth, and there’s this soft lighting aesthetic that tries really hard to be cinematic.

But sometimes it just ends up looking a bit faded. Like someone threw a “prestige film” Instagram filter over the whole thing. Not bad, but it can make the visuals feel less distinct.

Now, one thing I was worried about going in was pacing. The movie takes a while to get Nan into space, and for a second, I was wondering if it was going to pull a bait-and-switch.

But no, we do get there, and the second half delivers some of the film’s best emotional beats.

Nan’s arc feels complete, and there’s a subtle, satisfying shift in her that doesn’t rely on long speeches or big monologues. It just happens, like it would in real life. where things are messy, people fumble through their feelings, and there’s never really one big “aha” moment that fixes everything.

That’s kind of what I appreciated most about Lost in Starlight. It doesn’t pretend to be some grand space epic or a tragic love story that rewrites the genre, it just is what it is: a small, sincere, sometimes uneven story about two people trying to figure things out in the middle of big dreams and emotional baggage.

Would I watch it again? Probably not right away, it’s more of a one-time journey, but I’m glad I gave it a shot. It’s a quietly thoughtful film that doesn’t try too hard to impress.

If you’re in the mood for something gentle, grounded, and willing to explore emotional truths without dressing them up too much, Lost in Starlight is worth the trip.

What I liked (And What I Didn’t Like)

Pros

A Grounded, Sincere Romance

This film actually respects its love story. Nan and Jay aren’t just cute placeholders for plot points; they’re people with complicated feelings, goals, and flaws. Their relationship isn’t perfect, but it feels believable.

Nan is a Solid Protagonist

Nan might be one of the more likable animated leads I’ve seen recently. She’s smart, determined, and doesn’t wallow in self-pity despite everything, and she’s not reduced to a one-note “strong female lead” trope.

Emotional Subtlety

I love that the movie trusts you to pick up on emotions without needing to spoon-feed them. There’s no “cue the violins” scene where someone cries dramatically in the rain. Instead, feelings creep in slowly, through quiet looks and simple conversations.

Visual Texture and Details

Even though the color palette sometimes makes it look like someone turned the brightness down, the attention to texture is impressive. The clothes wrinkle realistically, the backgrounds feel lived-in, and the character animation has weight.

Supporting Bandmates (Jay’s Side Characters)

Jay’s bandmates are surprisingly fun. We don’t get a ton of screentime with them, but they add personality and help give Jay a world outside of Nan. I honestly would’ve taken a few more scenes with them.

No Over-the-Top Climax

Some movies can’t resist the urge to go big in the third act, but Lost in Starlight sticks the landing by keeping things relatively calm. The emotional payoff doesn’t come from some grand sacrifice or explosion, but from personal growth.

Cons

Jay’s Music Arc is Meh

For a subplot that’s meant to mirror Nan’s emotional journey, Jay’s return to music just feels kinda flat. It lacks tension, and it honestly drags down the pacing a bit when we cut away from Nan’s much more interesting story.

The Romance Moves a Bit Fast

Even though I liked how the relationship was written overall, I can admit it moves at a slightly brisk pace. There are a couple of montages to do the heavy lifting, but I would’ve liked a few more scenes of actual conversations and shared moments to really buy into it.

Music is Not Memorable

You can’t have a movie about a guy rediscovering music and then give him songs that sound like elevator tunes. It’s not bad, but it’s too safe.

Could’ve Used a Bit More Closure

The ending is nice, but it feels like it’s missing one last beat. A final interview with Nan, or even a scene showing her years later, would have brought everything full circle.

Pacing in the First Act

The film starts off strong with its emotional hook, but then takes a while to move forward.

Who might like Lost in Starlight

• Fans of grounded sci-fi with human emotion
• People who enjoy slow-burn romances
• Viewers tired of cheesy or formulaic love stories
• Sci-fi fans who prefer subtle world-building over exposition dumps
• Animation lovers looking for something different
• People who cry during quiet space scenes (no judgment)

Who might dislike Lost in Starlight

• People who want fast-paced storytelling
• Fans expecting flashy visuals and over-the-top action
• Music lovers hoping for a great soundtrack
• Viewers who dislike quiet, emotional films without big twists
• Anyone allergic to films with “soft” pacing

Final Verdict: Is Lost in Starlight Worth Watching?

Yeah, it is. It didn’t blow me away, but it got under my skin in that slow, quiet way good stories sometimes do. It’s one of those movies that just feels nice to watch. Not super exciting, but comforting in its sincerity.

There’s a lot to admire in how Lost in Starlight tells its story. It doesn’t rely on cheap tricks or forced drama. It lets its characters breathe, it takes its time, and it respects its audience. And in a world where most films are terrified of being boring, that kind of quiet confidence goes a long way.

I probably won’t rewatch it five times or plaster it all over my socials, but I’d absolutely recommend it to the right people.

So, if you’re in the mood for something tender, well-made, and refreshingly mature, Lost in Starlight is worth the ride. You’ll get quiet growth, soft smiles, and a gentle reminder that sometimes, love really is rocket science.

Lost in Starlight Trailer

Simon Leasher

A lover of cinema for over 35 years, I try and look at the good and bad points of films while advising whether someone might like the film or not. More

And yes, The Godfather 2 is better than The Godfather.