movie review the lost husband

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the lost husband.

Now streaming on:

I think I may have cinematic PTSD from the wave of truly awful movies that followed in the success of “The Notebook,” most of them also based on novels by Nicholas Sparks . They’re a rough spot in the history of filmmaking, and I went into Vicky Wight ’s “The Lost Husband” expecting more of the same overcooked tripe. The title alone had me grinding my teeth (and it ends up really misrepresenting the film). 

Much to my surprise, “The Lost Husband” is a solid adult drama, a movie that’s too soft at times but more often tender with its characters. It’s not a film designed to break any new ground, but Wight has skill with character, finding nuance in those moments that many other writer/directors would have turned into pure cliché. When her film has to come back to its narrative based on the novel by Katherine Center , it falters at times, particularly in a vicious matriarch archetype, but there’s way more to like here than I expected. 

Libby ( Leslie Bibb ) has moved to the country house of her aunt Jean ( Nora Dunn ), not long after the passing of Libby’s husband Danny ( Kevin Alejandro ). Now the single mother to two children, Libby needs a break from her awful mom Marsha ( Sharon Lawrence ), and a complete change of scenery. Early scenes in “The Lost Husband” really capture how activity can soften grief. There’s something to just moving—getting off the couch and doing something—that can help people get over tragedy. And Wight smartly doesn’t overplay the “city girl” aspect of Libby. Sure, she’s never milked a goat, but this is not the broad slapstick comedy it could have easily been in a lesser film. Don't expect wacky montages to a Maroon 5 hit.

Of course, it helps the grieving process that Aunt Jean’s farmhand O’Connor looks like Josh Duhamel . Yes, “The Lost Husband” is a “city girls falls for country boy” tale, but even that angle is handled with way more subtlety than most films of this type, or the poster this movie, would have you believe. Wight refuses to make this a “boyfriend savior” film, allowing Libby her own arc and grief outside of the growing relationship, and lets the love story take a back seat. Importantly, Duhamel is undeniably charming, underplaying in a way that anchors his supporting role but never steals focus from Bibb.

Way too long at nearly 110 minutes, “The Lost Husband” undeniably succumbs to some cheesiness, particularly with Lawrence’s cartoonish caricature and some secrets revealed in the final act. However, I kind of liked some of the less-rushed chapters, the moments that felt way more lived in than we usually get from films in the Sparks universe. Lines like “Life keeps chugging along whether we like it or not” are undeniably clichéd but come from a truthful place. Life doesn’t stop for tragedy. It doesn’t stop for grief. Your kid still needs to go to school. The goats still need to be milked. 

What turned me off about so many of those Sparks films and their wannabes was the artifice and the sense that none of these people exist in the real world. And I think what surprised me so much about “The Lost Husband” was how much I believed Libby and her journey, even as it fell into sentimentality. It’s an old-fashioned but charming movie that affirms that maybe romantic dramas aren’t dead after all. 

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

Now playing

Sweet Dreams

Matt zoller seitz.

The People's Joker

Clint worthington.

Blood for Dust

The Listener

The American Society of Magical Negroes

Robert daniels.

Lousy Carter

Film credits.

The Lost Husband (2020)

Rated PG-13 for some suggestive references.

109 minutes

Leslie Bibb as Libby Moran

Josh Duhamel as James O'Connor

Sharon Lawrence as Marsha

Kevin Alejandro as Danny

Georgia King as Jessica

• Vicky Wight

Writer (novel)

• Katherine Center

Cinematographer

• Aaron Kovalchik
• Suzanne Spangler
• Sherri Chung

Latest blog posts

Female Filmmakers in Focus: Marija Kavtaradzė on Slow

It's Time To Give a FECK: Book Tour Dates Announced

The Unloved, Part 125: Mother Night

Facets to Honor Academy Museum President Jacqueline Stewart at the 2024 Screen Gems Benefit

• Action/Adventure
• Children's/Family
• Documentary/Reality
• Amazon Prime Video

More From Decider

Sydney Sweeney Sings “Unwritten” Into Glen Powell’s Butt in Iconic...

Holly Madison Calls Bob Guccione A "Horrible Person" For Publishing...

'9-1-1's Oliver Stark Says Season 7 Fan Response Is "A Beautiful Reminder"...

'Deal Or No Deal Island' Star Rob Mariano Says There's "No Masterminds" In...

Jennifer Lopez Sets The Record Straight On 'The View' After Alyssa Farah...

Bill Maher Compares Nickelodeon To Neverland Ranch After Watching 'Quiet...

Woody Allen in Exile: 'Coup De Chance' Finally Arrives On Streaming, Where...

Donald Trump Once Invited 'The View's Joy Behar To Be On 'The Apprentice'...

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to copy URL

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Lost Husband’ On Netflix, A Nicholas Sparks-Esque Drama That Might Surprise You

Where to stream:.

• The Lost Husband

Sappy, overdone romances in the vein of Nicholas Sparks or Lifetime Originals have now taken over their own corner on Netflix , and at first glance, The Lost Husband seems to be just another addition to the pile. Grieving widow moves to a country town and finds love again? It feels like we’ve heard this before. But with a cast this promising, can it overcome expectations and break the tired, artificial mold? The answer might surprise you. 

THE LOST HUSBAND : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Leslie Bibb, Josh Duhamel, and Nora Dunn star in  The Lost Husband , a romantic drama based on the novel by Katherine Carter. Having lost her husband 6 months prior and fed up with living with her toxic, abusive mother Marsha (Sharon Lawrence), Libby (Bibb) takes her two children Abby and Tank and leaves the big city to stay with her Aunt Jean (Dunn). Jean lives a simple life on a goat farm, and immediately puts Libby to work, despite her lack of experience (and reluctance to get her hands dirty). Libby’s teacher is the grizzly, gruff James O’Connor (Duhamel), who has some of his own demons to face. The two immediately have a connection – if a slightly hostile one – and find themselves warming up to one another as the months go by. On the surface,  The Lost Husband  seems like the formulaic fairytale romantic drama we’re used to seeing these days. But there are layers here, and more to explore than the central romance. Over time, Libby confronts her grief and learns the ropes at the farm, her kids start to find joy and confidence again, James starts to open his heart, and Jean realizes that keeping secrets may not be the best idea.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: The Lost Husband  feels like an elevated Lifetime Original romance, or something on par with the lesser Nicholas Sparks flicks we’ve seen shuffled out over the last few years. Think The Lucky One ,  Safe Haven ,  The Best of Me , etc.

Performance Worth Watching: The entire cast pulls off quite a surprise by taking what could easily have been eye-roll-inducing babble and making it feel real, but Dunn is (unsurprisingly) the MVP here. She brings a lived-in, comforting quality to Jean without letting the more hackneyed scenes get the best of her. She says so much by saying so little, allowing her expressions to land some of the film’s more emotionally resonant moments. There’s a reason she’s such an on-screen staple.

Memorable Dialogue: As cheesy as much of the dialogue is,  The Last Husband  actually does a pretty good job at driving even its syrupy exchanges home. Jean delivers a particularly moving speech to Libby when she asks her about grief: “This kind of pain and loss, it cracks you open. But we are made of magic and resilience, Libby. Losing someone you love – that scar will feel ugly forever. But it will heal.” Is it overly sentimental? Sure. But it feels real. One more honorable mention? Duhamel’s genuinely funny delivery of “roosters can’t tell time”.

Single Best Shot: There aren’t a ton of shots to write home about, but  The Last Husband  certainly takes advantage of its beautiful rural setting. This sunny moment is just one example.

Sex and Skin: There are a handful of quality smooches here, but most of The Lost Husband ‘s action is pretty PG.

• Stream It Or Skip It

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ on Netflix, Renowned Indian Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s First Crack At Television

Stream it or skip it: ‘behind the music: bell biv devoe’ on paramount+, catching up with the '90s new jack swingers in 2024, stream it or skip it: 'the green veil' on the network, a drama about government coverups in the 1950s, ranging from aliens to the abduction of indigenous children, stream it or skip it: ‘down the rabbit hole’ on netflix, a fascinating mexican satire about a cartel boss' secret son.

Our Take: As soon as I read the title  The Lost Husband , I’ll admit I grimaced. I prepared for the worst. Soapy performances, terrible dialogue, a world too cookie-cutter perfect to resemble our own. Color me surprised to find that  The Lost Husband  – terrible and confusing title aside – actually manages to avoid most of these tropes. This isn’t to say it’s in the same league as The Notebook  or that everyone should be rushing to see it, but it certainly is a step above the kind of overdramatic drivel we’re used to seeing these days. Bibb and Duhamel have genuine chemistry, and Bibb in particular feels like a real person. Her grief is palpable, and her emotional journey doesn’t feel at all contrived. She  is  that kind-hearted mother and grieving widow, and you never doubt that she’s fighting battles beneath the front she might put on. Romantic dramas like these rarely give us a leading lady that could be someone we know, but  The Last Husband  does – and then some.

At almost 2 hours,  The Last Husband  is entirely too long, and yes, it is not without its overly sentimental moments, cornball score, and occasional clichés (Libby’s mother Marsha is essentially a caricature of the toxic matriarch that tends to exist in this genre). But I’ll be the first to admit that I found myself swept up in several scenes and in Libby’s journey, not really wondering how things would turn out – there’s never any question of that – but invested in her experience. Tired family secrets storyline aside, Jean is also one of the film’s greatest assets, and she feels much more fleshed out than this kind of role usually is. I can’t remember the last time I watched one of these movies and felt like any of the characters felt remotely authentic. The Lost Husband  changes that.

Director/screenwriter Vicky Wight mostly avoids the exhausting banalities we’re accustomed to with this kind of flick and instead gives us a genuinely resonant glimpse of grief. For most of its runtime, The Lost Husband isn’t exceedingly saccharine or cloying; it often embraces subtlety in a way these stories never do, and it breathes life into a painfully familiar premise. Hell, it’s even occasionally charming. The Lost Husband – even with a stupid title that honestly may harm the film more than it helps it – isn’t going to change the game, but for genre-lovers, it is more than worth your time.

Our Call: Stream it. If you’re usually a sucker for Nicholas Sparks or the aforementioned cheesy romances that plague our televisions and streaming platforms these days, The Lost Husband is a welcome, surprisingly moving addition to the collection. Despite its indulgent length, its strong performances and gentle nature may be enough to win your heart.

Should you stream or skip the romantic drama #TheLostHusband on @netflix ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) August 12, 2020

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes.  Follow her on Twitter:  @jadebudowski .

Stream  The Lost Husband  on Netflix

• Leslie Bibb

Does 'Yellowstone' Return Tonight? The Latest Updates On 'Yellowstone' Season 5, Part 2 Premiere Date

Anne Hathaway's 'Tonight Show' Interview Hits An Awkward Snag After The Audience Reacts In Silence To Her Question

Whoopi Goldberg Accuses 'The View' Producer Of "Side-Eyeing" Her After She Promised Not To Speak About Israel-Palestine Protests: "He's Starting To Get Annoyed"

'The View': Whoopi Goldberg Calls Out 'Unfrosted' For Not Casting People Of Color — Then Takes "Everything Back"

'The View's Whoopi Goldberg "Enraged" After Donald Trump Claimed America Is "Anti-White": "Nobody In Your Family Was Hung"

‘Anyone But You’s Big Sex Scene Finds Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell Steaming Up a Shower

The Lost Husband: Review and Ending, Explained

‘ The Lost Husband ‘ is yet another formulaic addition to the romance drama genre with some reasonably predictable bits of footage and plot points scattered throughout its runtime. There are gorgeous lakeside views and scenic sunset landscapes, there’s a love story that brews between an unlikely couple, and there’s an underlying cathartic tale covering themes of abandonment, identity, grief, and letting go. It’s all there.

Now denouncing the film’s generic elements wouldn’t be fair since it never really promises anything more than that. In fact, one can appreciate the fact that it remains focused on what it wants to offer and never gets overly preachy or corny with its subject matter. Moreover, most viewers who’ll walk into ‘The Lost Husband’ will expect a heartfelt romance and some feel-good moments, which is precisely what the movie offers. But even with all of its sentimentality, nuanced characterization, and solid performances, ‘The Lost Husband’ barely breaks any new ground.

The Lost Husband Plot Summary

Based on an eponymous novel by Katherine Carter, follows Libby (Leslie Bibb), who recently lost her husband in a car accident. Unable to deal with the grief that dawns over her and tired of staying with her toxic mother Marsha, Libby decides to move to the countryside with her kids, Abby and Tank, to live with her Aunt Jean (Nora Dunn), who owns a massive farm. Although Libby has no prior experience of working at a farm, Jean empathizes with her and allows her to work at her beautiful goat farm. Realizing that she needs to distract herself from everything she has dealt with, Jean immediately gives her work at the farm and asks James O’Connor (Josh Duhamel), the raspy farm manager, to train her.

As one would expect, James and Libby initially get off on the wrong foot. But as they spend more time together working at the farm, they start warming up to each other by opening up about their past. Ultimately, not only does Libby learn to deal with her grief and forgive her mother, but even James gives himself the chance to fall in love again. Along with them, even Aunt Jean realizes that keeping secrets, especially from her loved ones, will do her no good.

The Lost Husband Ending, Explained

With memories of her husband looming over her, Libby struggles to adapt to her farm life. She keeps thanking Jean for allowing her to move in with her and work at the farm but is still haunted by the ghosts of her pasts. Adding to her troubles, although her kids love their new home, they find it hard to get along with their peers at school. Libby even keeps dreaming about the day of her husband’s accident. In her dreams, she relentlessly tries to stop him from leaving, but for some reason, he can’t listen to her. During these moments, Libby goes through extreme denial and isolation towards her husband’s demise, but she fails to understand what’s causing it.

Then she comes across an abandoned home right across the farm, which seems strangely familiar. Towards the end of the movie, Libby finds a family photo she has no memories of. The picture gives her the impression that she spent some significant years of her childhood with Aunt Jean, but when she thinks about it, she is unable to recall any of that. When she asks Jean about it, Jean reveals that her mother had abandoned her when she was only four months old and had left her behind at the old house on the farm. Jean raised her like her own daughter, and that’s what made Libby’s mother extremely jealous. She couldn’t stand seeing Libby and Jean happy together, and so she decided to take Libby back with her. Jean keeps this a secret because it wasn’t easy for her to let go, but since Marsha was Libby’s biological mother, she never questioned her. Libby isn’t able to recall these events since most children develop coping mechanisms to forget traumatic childhood memories.

The whole revelation about her childhood abandonment comes in tandem with her denial of her husband’s death. Although her husband did not intentionally leave her, she feels betrayed when just like her mother, he abruptly leaves her and her children. When Libby finally identifies this underlying fear of abandonment that she suffers from, she is not only able to accept her husband’s death but also learns to forgive her mother. Along with that, letting go of the past also allows her to pursue a whole new relationship with James. By doing this, she even liberates James from his past demons and makes Jean realize that no matter how regretful one way be about one’s past, it’s always good to avoid keeping secrets.

The Lost Husband Review

For the most part, ‘The Lost Husband’ checks all the right boxes to come off as your regular share of Hallmark Original romance flicks or Nicolas Sparks adaptations. But what makes it one of the better additions of the sub-genre is its groundedness. Although it isn’t the first romance flick that portrays the complications of life by merging themes of love and PTSD, there’s some realism to the cathartic journey its protagonist goes through. The film is structured in such a way that Libby’s transformation from being in extreme denial, then in depression, and then finally reaching a phase of acceptance towards grief is very subtle. Adding more heft to this, the sensitivity and nuance that Leslie Bibb brings to her character resonate well with viewers.

The movie’s canvas is strewn with picturesque visuals of stunning rural terrain. So even if nothing else appeals to you, you might find yourself sticking around just for the sake of enjoying its pretty cinematography and plausible character chemistry. So regardless of how clichéd and formulaic it may seem, ‘The Lost Husband’ surprisingly turns out to be a lot more than a cheesy escapist fictional realm. Although not remarkable in any way, ‘The Lost Husband’ is amiable, relatable at times, and has a lot to offer to those who are looking for authentic romantic dramas.

Read More: The Lost Husband Filming Locations

SPONSORED LINKS

• Movie Explainers
• TV Explainers
• About The Cinemaholic

‘The Lost Husband’: Film Review

A pair of charming leads and a picturesque setting can't save Vicky Wight’s Hallmark-y romantic drama in desperate need of more romance.

By Tomris Laffly

Tomris Laffly

• ‘Nowhere Special’ Review: Understated Terminal Illness Drama Earns Your Tears 7 days ago
• ‘We Grown Now’ Review: Minhal Baig Lovingly Tells a Lyrical Friendship Tale Set in 1990s Chicago 2 weeks ago
• ‘Common Ground’ Review: Well-Intentioned Doc About Regenerative Farming Offers Limited Insights Into an American Environmental Crisis 2 weeks ago

There are worse things one could do than indulge in a cozy little romance these days, when we are all cooped up at home craving some meaningful human contact. If only writer-director Vicky Wight ’s on-demand drama “The Lost Husband” could have filled that void by audaciously embracing some of the more syrupy, maybe even steamy elements of an often unfairly slighted genre.

Instead, Wight delivers a sedated Hallmark-y effort that just hints at heightened emotions — the very kind of rush underserved romance viewers come to this fare seeking — only to repeatedly interrupt and abandon them in puzzling ways. Equally confusing is that deceptive title. Suffice it to say that Wight’s predictable fish-out-of-water tale, adapted from bestselling author Katherine Center’s 2013 novel of the same name, isn’t about a husband at all, but the widowed wife he leaves behind in his wake.

She is Libby Moran ( Leslie Bibb ), a good-natured mother of two who seems no less lost than her recently deceased husband Danny (Kevin Alejandro) we only get to meet during a pair of by-the-book flashbacks. (In the most cringe-inducing one, Libby can be heard foreshadowing a tragedy with, “Something bad is going to happen!”) When we meet Libby in the opening moments of the film, something bad has already happened, forcing the young woman and her kids to live with Libby’s self-centered mother Marsha (Sharon Lawrence). Fed up with her egotistical parent’s hardened indifference, Libby walks out on her, heading to her long estranged aunt Jean’s (Nora Dunn) Texan goat farm to make a new start.

Popular on Variety

Leading a fulfilling and calm country life with strenuous demands the suburban Libby is unfamiliar with, the no-nonsense Jean takes Libby under her protective wing at once, guiding her until-then convenience-minded niece with an uncompromising sense of discipline. In her farm, everyone, including animals, has an essential job to do, she regularly stresses. And before Libby gets to fashion herself with quaint braids and change into farm-appropriate denim overalls and cowboy boots, she meets Josh Duhamel ’s blunt, handsomely rugged farm manager James, who supervises the workflow and quickly dismisses Libby’s aspirations to open a “hipster cheese shop” with the dairy the farm produces.

If you’re rubbing your eager palms together in anticipation, allow me to confirm that however underdeveloped, a love affair does spark between Libby and James. The pair skip over a meet-cute, but the material still delivers some genre charms via other means, especially when the duo accidentally finds itself locked in a cooler room for hours, bantering and getting to know each other as a result. What’s frustrating is, Wight does very little with that setup, deserting the two and their undercooked chemistry for long stretches of time to look for juicy twists in different avenues. But those regrettable departures don’t exactly land.

The script spends a considerable amount of time with, but then unfortunately misjudges a severe incident of school bullying involving Libby’s young daughter — no school administrator would be that apathetic toward a new student who’s been harassed due to her limp. Elsewhere, a long-buried family secret finally gets revealed, earning not much more than a shrug from the audience who’d rather witness the next move between the lovers-to-be. Meanwhile, a pair of paper-thin supporting characters get shamelessly sidelined — the committed Herizen Guardiola’s bubbly townie Sunshine serves no purpose other than help Libby realize hers. Playing Sunshine’s father, Isiah Whitlock Jr.’s welcome presence goes to waste, with his character merely reduced to comic relief.

Lit by cinematographer Aaron Kovalchik’s palatably sun-dappled but daytime-TV-esque aesthetic, “The Lost Husband” is at its most agreeable when it invests in Libby’s adjustment process in familiar but endearing montages. In one scene, she learns the rewarding mysteries of cheese-making; in another, the finally savvy worker finds herself singing to goats. But those brief grace notes get shortchanged by other miscalculated steps. Wight’s sets seldom manage to rise above a certain distracting superficiality — Jean’s supposedly well-worn country kitchen, where we spend a decent chunk of time, looks like it’s recently been outfitted through a shopping spree at Williams-Sonoma, with brand-new pots and pans that have never met a burner before. And it’s not just the production design that doesn’t feel lived in. Rushing through an emotional journey with an uneven pace and clumsy dialogue, “The Lost Husband” aims for familiar sentiments around loyalty, family and sacrifice, but bypasses sincerity, the most crucial ingredient.

Reviewed online, New York, April 9, 2020. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 109 MIN.

• Production: A Quiver Distribution release of a Six Foot Pictures production. Producer: Bridget Stokes. Executive Producer: Matt Ballesteros.
• Crew: Director, writer: Vicky Wight. Camera: Aaron Kovalchik. Editors: Suzanne Spangler. Music: Sherri Chung.
• With: Leslie Bibb, Josh Duhamel, Nora Dunn, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Sharon Lawrence, Kevin Alejandro, Herizen Guardiola, Callie Haverda, Roxton Garcia, Stone Garcia.

More From Our Brands

‘hacks’ is back, and it’s still one of the funniest shows on tv, you can now sleep in the ferrari museum, prince’s purple rain house, or the x-men mansion, formula 1 and globant partner to enhance f1 digital capabilities, be tough on dirt but gentle on your body with the best soaps for sensitive skin, svu’s mariska hargitay is trying to get kelli giddish back for season 26, verify it's you, please log in.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• The Fall Guy Link to The Fall Guy
• I Saw the TV Glow Link to I Saw the TV Glow
• Música Link to Música

New TV Tonight

• Hacks: Season 3
• The Tattooist of Auschwitz: Season 1
• Shardlake: Season 1
• The Veil: Season 1
• A Man in Full: Season 1
• Acapulco: Season 3
• Welcome to Wrexham: Season 3
• John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA: Season 1
• Star Wars: Tales of the Empire: Season 1
• My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman: Season 4.2

Most Popular TV on RT

• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
• Them: Season 2
• Shōgun: Season 1
• The Sympathizer: Season 1
• Ripley: Season 1
• 3 Body Problem: Season 1
• The Green Veil: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1 Link to Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

100 Essential Criterion Collection Films

100 Best Free Movies on YouTube (May 2024)

Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Summer Movie Calendar 2024

Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2024 Programming Guide

• Trending on RT
• The Fall Guy
• Challengers
• Best Movies of All Time
• Play Movie Trivia

The Lost Husband Reviews

I went trope fishing with The Lost Husband and caught a quietly charming one.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 1, 2022

If you skip the forgettable trailer and misleading title you’ll find that “The Lost Husband” has more to offer than you might think.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 23, 2022

The problem is the romance is barely developed and the big reveal does not pay off. It makes the entire film very bland and boring

Full Review | Original Score: 3/10 | Sep 15, 2020

The Lost Husband is the kind of film that has "heartwarming" plastered across the promotional materials from script stage. But any actual feeling here is protected by a "keep out" sign.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Sep 3, 2020

Despite its indulgent length, its strong performances and gentle nature may be enough to win your heart.

Full Review | Aug 11, 2020

A thoroughly ephemeral crowd-pleaser, but for those addicted to this sort of cable-TV-quality romantic hokum, it will probably be an acceptable, if totally forgettable, time-waster.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Apr 23, 2020

injects enough doses of humor and keeps the emotions real enough to keep it from sliding into a vat of schmaltz

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Apr 23, 2020

It's beautifully simple, beautifully easy and elegant for it. The Lost Husband is a Sunday afternoon watch if there ever was one, and a good one at that, just don't expect to be blown away.

Full Review | Apr 18, 2020

Romantic drama about loss has farm charm; smoking.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 16, 2020

Bibb and Duhamel have minimal chemistry, and this overlong drag is more about dull, long-buried family secrets than the tepid romance.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Apr 13, 2020

[Leslie] Bibb and [Josh] Duhamel elevate their love story by never overplaying their roles.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Apr 13, 2020

Amid the bits of small-town charm and mildly intriguing character dynamics, the film lacks sufficient depth to develop much emotional resonance.

Full Review | Apr 11, 2020

An old-fashioned but charming movie that affirms that maybe romantic dramas aren't dead after all.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Apr 10, 2020

Fish-out-of-water story, grief drama, opposites-attract rom-com, family-secrets saga and ode to country living - there are plenty of facets to The Lost Husband, and none of them feels particularly fresh or urgent.

Full Review | Apr 10, 2020

Wight delivers a sedated Hallmark-y effort that just hints at heightened emotions - the very kind of rush underserved romance viewers come to this fare seeking - only to repeatedly interrupt and abandon them in puzzling ways.

One just wants to live with these performances and characters, but The Lost Husband has other and too many things on its mind.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Apr 10, 2020

Just an easy to watch, easy to enjoy kind of movie. In this day and age something simple and nice is just what the doctor ordered.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Apr 9, 2020

Despite an easy-going nature, the predictability of the work winds up being a major hinderance, eliminating forward momentum.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Apr 9, 2020

Yet while nearly everything about "The Lost Husband" is pat and predictable, the movie's easy to watch.

Full Review | Apr 9, 2020

You can see exactly where this is going but the journey to the couple's final embrace contains enough genuinely poignant moments to make it worthwhile.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/4.0 | Apr 9, 2020

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

‘the lost husband’: film review.

THR review: Young widow meets "hot farmer" and at the same time uncovers family secrets in 'The Lost Husband,' a Texas-set romance starring Leslie Bibb and Josh Duhamel.

By Sheri Linden

Sheri Linden

Senior Copy Editor/Film Critic

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Email
• Show additional share options
• Share this article on Linkedin
• Share this article on Pinit
• Share this article on Reddit
• Share this article on Tumblr
• Share this article on Whatsapp
• Share this article on Print
• Share this article on Comment

Fish-out-of-water story, grief drama, opposites-attract rom-com, family-secrets saga and ode to country living — there are plenty of facets to The Lost Husband , and none of them feels particularly fresh or urgent. With its homespun Hallmark vibe, though, writer-director Vicky Wight’s adaptation of a 2013 novel by Katherine Center might be just the kind of comfort food that fans of the romance genre crave right now.

Leslie Bibb and especially Josh Duhamel lend a gentle spark to the story of a recently widowed mother of two whose emotional rehabilitation involves learning to run a dairy farm. Wight (who wrote Boy Genius ) establishes an idyllic sense of place but struggles to pull together the numerous threads of the novel, ultimately milking the scenery at least as much as Bibb’s character milks the goats.

Release date: Apr 10, 2020

The actress-producer plays Libby, who leaves Houston with her young son (Roxton Garcia) and tween daughter (Callie Haverda) for the farm of her long-lost Aunt Jean (Nora Dunn, in overalls). A woman of few words, Jean is the independent, unconventional antithesis of Libby’s mom, Marsha (Sharon Lawrence), who’s an almost comically drawn villain. Fussily dressed, judgmental and glaring, she drops insults like ashes from her cigarette. She hasn’t a maternal bone in her body — and the crucial difference between biological parenthood and caring for a child is one of the potentially stirring ideas that’s reduced to a plot point.

Even with a big secret simmering between them, the estranged sisters’ animosity is played right on the surface, like pretty much everything in the picturesquely generic proceedings. The friction/attraction between Libby and her aunt’s farm manager, O’Connor (Duhamel), offers the only exception, at least sporadically. Even as it travels a well-trod romantic path from insults to wariness to the big clinch, there’s a nicely underplayed tension between the transplanted city girl and the avowed country boy. Duhamel’s sly delivery and self-possession make O’Connor the movie’s least neatly defined and most enjoyable character, whether he’s helping a kid stand up to bullies or ratcheting up the “hot farmer” act when Libby runs into frenemies from Houston.

Related Stories

How hollywood works now: the producer who decamped to a survivalist sanctuary.

Like Libby, O’Connor is dealing with a personal loss, but one that’s far better explained than hers. The circumstances of Libby’s husband’s death become less coherent every time they’re broached, the screenplay suggesting complications that go unclarified and unexplored. Wight and Bibb do, however, persuasively convey Libby’s awakening to the joys of the farm, particularly in a sweet scene with the goats that makes apt use of Bill Withers’ “A Lovely Day,” lending a touch of poignancy just days after his death.

Through no fault of the actors, two characters that are meant to defy stereotypes feel instead like collections of traits to be filed under “quirky”: Jean’s boyfriend Russ (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) is an attorney, feed-shop owner and self-declared conservative — of note only because he’s black — and his granddaughter Sunshine (Herizen Guardiola) combines unconvincing backstory with immature rudeness, spiritual pronouncements and unasked-for palm-reading sessions.

Mostly, though, the film occupies a place of stock situations and predictable arcs. And through all its half-realized plotlines, The Lost Husband teases out a family mystery. The long-hidden truth, revealed with distracting deliberateness, is hardly the intended bombshell. Even though the movie poses questions worth pondering, it’s self-inoculated against doing the pondering. With all the long, loving glances at the orderly pastel interiors of Jean’s home, and the constant nudging reassurance of the score, the narrative has been too padded against sharp angles to register a seismic jolt.

Available for VOD streaming through iTunes Production companies: Redbox Entertainment, Six Foot Pictures Distributor: Quiver Distribution Cast: Leslie Bibb, Josh Duhamel, Nora Dunn, Sharon Lawrence, Herizen Guardiola, Kevin Alejandro, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Georgia King, Carly Pope, Callie Haverda, Roxton Garcia, Stone Garcia Screenwriter-director: Vicky Wight Based on the novel by: Katherine Center Producers: Bridget Stokes, Vicky Wight, Leslie Bibb Executive producers: Matt Ballesteros, Coert Voorhees Director of photography: Aaron Kovalchik Production designer: Diz Jeppe Costume designer: Olivia Mori Editor: Suzanne Spangler Music: Sherri Chung Casting director: Rori Bergman Rated PG-13, 110 minutes

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Glenn close, jeremy irons join retirement home comedy ‘encore’, jessica lange to receive munich film festival honor, how the cannes film market will shine a spotlight on switzerland as country of honor, emma stone, nathan fielder reteam with a24 for ben mezrich’s carlsen-niemann chess scandal story (exclusive), ‘the fall guy’ facing criticism over johnny depp and amber heard joke, sex in movies has dropped sharply, yet gotten more graphic, study says.

The Lost Husband

Where to Watch

Leslie Bibb (Libby Moran) Josh Duhamel (James O'Connor) Nora Dunn (Aunt Jean) Herizen F. Guardiola (Sunshine) Sharon Lawrence (Marsha) Isiah Whitlock Jr. (Russ McAllen) Callie Haverda (Abby Moran) Roxton Garcia (Tank) Kevin Alejandro (Danny) Georgia King (Jessica)

Vicky Wight

Trying to put her life back together after her husband's death, Libby and her children move to her estranged aunt's goat farm in central Texas.

Recommendations

Advertisement

Home » Movies » Movie Reviews

The Lost Husband review – a charming trope

I love fishing, and when sitting down to select movies in this day and age, it’s a lot like that. Instead of fishing for trout, you are ultimately come up with trope after trope that you keep tossing back. When I started The Lost Husband , I began to fear it would trip face-first into Nicholas Sparks’ territory. To my surprise, its romantic elements take a back seat for more time than I could have hoped. I may have reeled in a trope with a healthy dose of sentimentality, but at least I caught a quietly charming one.

The Lost Husband tells a story of a widow, Libby ( Tag’s Leslie Bibb), who loses her husband Danny ( Grey’s Anatomy’s Kevin Alejandro) and leaves her broken with two children to take care of. After overstaying her welcome with her mom ( NYPD Blue’s Sharon Lawrence), she stays with her aunt Jean (Nora Dunn), who owns a goat farm in Texas that all the wealthy homemakers love to buy at the local farmer’s market. Of course, the farm is equipped with a handsome farmhand with some wispy grey in his air who stays in an even beautiful silver airstream across the front of the farmhouse, named James (Josh Duhamel).

Director Vicki Wight’s film was adapted from a novel of the same name by Katherine Center and avoided many egregious romantic pitfalls most films of this genre tend to cannonball through. Yes, it has enough sentimentality and melodrama to spare but pushes the romance between Bibb and Duhamel’s characters to the back burner to concentrate more on Libby’s autonomy. She is immature, slightly spoiled, and trying to climb her way out of the depression she has found herself in after her husband’s passing.

The flaws are the type you accept going to a film like this. There is limited insight into Libby’s mental health issues or the kids, for that matter. It has a very unnecessary back story plot twist that is sorely out of place. Bibb’s turn is a tad overdone but settles nicely as the movie moves along. With her cold, frigid mothering, Sharon Lawrence’s limited screen time is over the top.

The film has a quiet, grounded charm that covers up many of these flaws, including an unnecessary back story plot twist. When Bibb’s character questions Jean telling them there is work to do on holiday, her response is the real world when films tend to favor the big-city folk that looked forward to getting away for a long holiday weekend. It’s a better quality of life, slow-paced, where you can enjoy a party at a local country bar and celebrate birthdays where the only rule is you can’t buy the gift, make one. It’s an excellent role for Dunn, who isn’t utilized enough in projects.

The real star here is Duhamel, who is effortlessly charming while at the same time being a scruffy mess. Their romance isn’t forced like many of this genre and happens almost organically instead of right away and going through an entire relationship’s ups and downs in 90 to 120 minutes. In any romantic drama, that aspect is a refreshing change of pace, including not using a romance to have its protagonist pull themselves out of the darkness they find themselves in.

The Lost Husband won’t win any awards and may get more flack than is deserved, but its quietly grounded charm made it a pleasant surprise in these uncertain times.

More Stories

• 10 Movies like Beautiful Disaster you must watch

Article by Marc Miller

Marc Miller (also known as M.N. Miller) joined Ready Steady Cut in April 2018 as a Film and TV Critic, publishing over 1,600 articles on the website. Since a young age, Marc dreamed of becoming a legitimate critic and having that famous “Rotten Tomato” approved status – in 2023, he achieved that status.

A Man In Full's Ending Goes Way Off the Rails

Fatale review - a damoiseau in distress

This website cannot be displayed as your browser is extremely out of date.

Please update your browser to one of the following: Chrome , Firefox , Edge

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

The Lost Husband review – farm romance is all cheese, no flavour

A grieving widow escapes to a rural idyll of horses and hunky farmhands in a rustic heartwarmer that leaves you cold

H ere’s a bland daytime telly-ish romantic drama that might have been made as propaganda for the current urban exodus – an advert for moving to the countryside, where folks from the city can find their inner compass while milking goats and making organic cheese. Actually, some of the film’s best casting is four-legged – the friesians are beauties and the glossily bearded goats have wonderfully expressive faces. The human actors are a bit flat by comparison, struggling a bit with director Vicky Wight’s Hallmark-card script, adapted from a novel by Katherine Center.

Leslie Bibb is Libby, a woman whose nice, middle-class life in Houston falls apart after her husband dies in a car crash. Flat broke, she has no choice but to load up her kids in the car and move in with her estranged Aunt Jean, who has a farm in the sticks. Libby’s children are freakishly compliant with this upheaval, and Jean (Nora Dunn) turns out to be exactly the kind of warm, no-nonsense country aunt required in a crisis, always in the kitchen knuckle-deep in pastry or delivering homespun wisdom (“We are made of magic and resilience, Libby”). Better still, there’s a hot farmhand played by Josh Duhamel – though, like I say, you get more emotion from the goats.

The Lost Husband is the kind of film that has “heartwarming” plastered across the promotional materials from script stage. But any actual feeling here is protected by a “keep out” sign. Libby’s grief, her anger at her husband for dying, her anxiety about the future – none of these get much of a look-in, as if they might spoil the luxuriance of this rustic idyll. The film’s quaint view of farm life doesn’t bear much scrutiny either: a dozen or so goats providing milk for artisanal cheese sold at farmers’ markets seem to sustain an entire family.

• Romance films
• Drama films
• Film adaptations

Most viewed

The Lost Husband (2020)

• User Reviews

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews

• User Ratings
• External Reviews
• Metacritic Reviews
• Full Cast and Crew
• Release Dates
• Official Sites
• Company Credits
• Filming & Production
• Technical Specs
• Plot Summary
• Plot Keywords
• Parents Guide

Did You Know?

• Crazy Credits
• Alternate Versions
• Connections
• Soundtracks

Photo & Video

• Photo Gallery
• Trailers and Videos

Related Items

• External Sites

Related lists from IMDb users

Recently Viewed

Get news & reviews in your inbox

• Prime Video
• Documentary
• Producers Corner
• Watch Lists
• More Than A Movie Night
• It’s Dove Approved – Family Movie Trivia Game
• Dove Ratings
• Privacy Policy

The Lost Husband

Dove Review

In my own family’s story, there’s one thing that has been true for generations: Aunts change lives. The role that Nora Dunn plays in The Lost Husband is a force in our hero’s life that reminds me of many pivotal relationships in my family’s story. Writer Vicky Wight (Boy Genius) has created a romance that’s stitched together with a painful but redeeming story of an Aunt’s unfailing love.

The Lost Husband is a beautifully filmed and gentle love story between a young widow and a loyal, lonely farm manager. But mostly it’s a story about a woman who is able to resolve the story of her childhood, and fully understand the meaning of sacrificial love, but through the truth of her aunt’s love.

Libby must endure the tragic loss of her husband and travel back through the difficult relationship with her selfish mother, which takes her to some buried memories that need to be brought forth. As she faces the struggle of living on her aunt’s goat farm, she also faces the vulnerability that opens up her past, and makes a new way for a more authentic future.

Performances by Leslie Bibb, Josh Duhamel and Nora Dunn, bring this story to life with great chemistry. In the end, we want to watch it again, because it’s a movie that makes us feel a sweet peacefulness … and a fresh sense that redemption comes in all different flavors.

Due to some suggestive references, we are awarding this film Dove-approval for Ages 12+.

The Dove Take:

This love story brings us to deep places, but lets us relax in the sweet ending of a new beginning.

Dove Rating Details

A**hole-1, S***-1

There's an element that will be cause for concern : A character, who is positioned as a bit crazy, tries to get Libby to let her read her palms and participate in a seance.

More Information

Film information, dove content.

Faith Film Producer DeVon Franklin Steps in Front of the Camera for ‘Jesus Revolution’

Cyrano: Love is a Verb

Redeeming Love: Grace Rising Up Out of the Dirt

Filmmakers Highlight the Hope and Heroism in “Gi...

The Lost Husband

Streaming in:

We checked for updates on 246 streaming services on May 2, 2024 at 5:19:46 AM. Something wrong? Let us know!

The Lost Husband streaming: where to watch online?

Currently you are able to watch "The Lost Husband" streaming on Netflix, Hoopla, Netflix basic with Ads. It is also possible to buy "The Lost Husband" on Amazon Video, Vudu, Apple TV as download or rent it on Amazon Video, Vudu, Apple TV online.

Where does The Lost Husband rank today? The JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts are calculated by user activity within the last 24 hours. This includes clicking on a streaming offer, adding a title to a watchlist, and marking a title as 'seen'. This includes data from ~1.3 million movie & TV show fans per day.

Streaming charts last updated: 5:25:56 AM, 05/02/2024

The Lost Husband is 2670 on the JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts today. The movie has moved up the charts by 920 places since yesterday. In the United States, it is currently more popular than Beautiful Disaster but less popular than Peeping Tom.

Trying to put her life back together after the death of her husband, Libby and her children move to her estranged Aunt's goat farm in central Texas.

Videos: Trailers, Teasers, Featurettes

Streaming Charts The JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts are calculated by user activity within the last 24 hours. This includes clicking on a streaming offer, adding a title to a watchlist, and marking a title as 'seen'. This includes data from ~1.3 million movie & TV show fans per day.

Production country

People who liked the lost husband also liked.

Popular movies coming soon

Upcoming Drama movies

Similar Movies you can watch for free

Find Family Movies, Movie Ratings and Movie Reviews

The Lost Husband Parent Guide

Despite the movie's obvious flaws, it's watchable in a hallmark channel kind of way..

Netflix: Widowed and now homeless, Libby brings her kids for a visit to her Aunt Jean's farm. But Aunt Jean has bigger plans for Libby's future that are going to involve laying bare the ghosts of her past...

Release date August 14, 2020

Run Time: 109 minutes

Get Content Details

The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kirsten hawkes.

The Lost Husband doesn’t begin well. Libby (Leslie Bibb) has been widowed, lost her home, and, along with her two kids, has moved in with her mother (Sharon Lawrence), whose hospitality has now run dry. Desperate for a job and a place to live, she accepts her Aunt Jean’s (Nora Dunn) invitation to visit her goat farm. Libby believes the stay is temporary and is startled to learn that Jean expects her to settle in and step up to run the farm. The current farm manager, James O’Connor (Josh Duhamel), is tasked with teaching the newbie everything she needs to know about raising goats but she’s going to learn far more than that….

The first third of the movie is by far the weakest part, relying as it does on clumsy stereotypes. The film bounces between portraying Aunt Jean and O’Connor as “rustic hicks in the sticks” or wise barnyard sages. As for Libby, she’s so “city girl clueless” that it crosses into caricature. I’m not sure if her awkward introduction to farming is supposed to be funny; if so, it fails.

I have to confess that I went into this movie with low expectations. The trailer led me to believe the movie would be a cheesy, formulaic romantic drama – which is exactly what it is. Yet, somehow, I don’t hate it. I can’t explain why I don’t hate it: the romantic plotline is entirely predictable and the acting is mediocre at best. Josh Duhamel is clearly uninterested in his role and seems to think that playing a taciturn character means he doesn’t have to emote. Leslie Bibb is uneven, rarely showing any depth of emotion, unless awkwardness can be considered an emotion.

Despite the movie’s obvious flaws, it manages to be watchable in a Hallmark channel kind of way. Maybe it’s the sets: Aunt Jean’s small farmhouse is the epitome of farmhouse chic. The shiplap walls, wire baskets, worn floral patterns, and milk glass tableware are enough to make anyone with a fondness for farmhouse-style decorating swoon in their seats. Maybe it’s the story’s emphasis on the strength we can find from loving family members: Jean’s kindness becomes increasingly apparent as the story unfurls. It might be the low levels of negative content: with relatively little swearing or sexual content, you don’t have to cringe if you’re watching the movie with grandma. It could be the film’s emphasis on resilience: Libby is a survivor and watching her get herself back up again after absorbing multiple blows from life is reassuringly hopeful. Or maybe it’s just the comfort of watching a predictable plot unfold towards the ending we all expect. If you like curling up with a clean romance novel, knowing what the story is going to deliver, then this is the movie for you. It offers exactly the same plot points and emotional rewards – sweet, cozy, and not entirely realistic.

About author

Kirsten hawkes, watch the trailer for the lost husband.

The Lost Husband Rating & Content Info

Why is The Lost Husband rated PG-13? The Lost Husband is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for some suggestive references

Violence: Repeated mention of a car accident. A child mentions a scar from a car accident. There is discussion of a child being bullied and hitting back. A child is pushed into a fence and receives a bloody head wound. A man threatens a child who is bullying another child. A man teaches children to fight. A woman dreams of being taken away from her home against her will as a child. A woman remembers being left alone as a young child and hiding in the closet out of fear. Sexual Content: A man grabs a woman and kisses her passionately. There is mention of an illegitimate baby, abandoned by her mother. Women joke about “making cheese” with a man i.e. having sex with him. A woman mentions that she never married her husband. Profanity: There are approximately ten swear words, including terms of deity, scatological curses, anatomical terms, and minor profanities. The phrase “effing” is used as a stand-in for a sexual expletive. Alcohol / Drug Use:   A secondary character is shown smoking on a couple of occasions. Adults are seen drinking wine and beer; not to excess. A woman mentions a past “toxic relationship with vodka”.

Page last updated October 27, 2020

The Lost Husband Parents' Guide

What does Libby regret not saying to her husband? Why do we miss saying the most important things to the people we love?

The most recent home video release of The Lost Husband movie is April 10, 2020. Here are some details…

Related home video titles:.

If you can’t get enough of the rural setting, check out the documentary The Biggest Little Farm . For another romance on the farm, turn to Forever My Girl , in which a country singer returns home to find that his old flame is still there. Josh Duhamel plays a widower in a small town romance, Safe Haven . A young girl overcomes a neglected childhood with the help of her grandfather’s reincarnated dog in A Dog’s Journey .

The Lost Husband

Release date

7 th September 2020

Amazon Prime, iTunes

It’s safe to say we’re all in need of some feel-good escapism right now. The subject of grief might not be an obvious choice, but there’s something gentle and inviting about the romantic drama The Lost Husband that manages to wrap us up in a warm embrace. This is like one of those Hallmark movies you might stumble across accidentally on a lazy Sunday afternoon and allow yourself to indulge in. It’s a nice, easy watch, but is it too placid and predictable?

The husband in the title does not appear, but his presence permeates the life of protagonist Libby (Leslie Bibb) as she attempts to accept his death and move on. Exasperated living with her self-absorbed mother Marsha (Sharon Lawrence), Libby ventures deep into the Texan countryside to take refuge at her Aunt Jean’s farm. It is here she hopes to gain a sense of closure and carve out a new start.

Life begins and grows on a farm so the setting works well symbolically as we enter this unknown wilderness with Libby. Those expecting a romp in the hay, though, will be disappointed. The rural backdrop is of course aesthetically pleasing but the countless shots of the countryside are not enough to compensate for what is an antiquated and lacklustre effort.

Grief offers so much scope for inventive storytelling. Within the romance genre, we might expect it to be examined somewhat lightly, with newfound love taking centre stage. Here, the romance angle is very much a slow burn, and any spark between Libby and James fails to fully ignite. This is of a huge detriment as Bibb and Josh Duhamel – perfect as the hot farmer – enjoy excellent chemistry, which director Vicky Wight fails to capitalise on.

It is the acting that elevates a sedate script. Bibb’s character is someone we root for, with the performer resisting sentimentality as much as possible and successfully conveying the vast assortment of emotions Libby is experiencing. Lawrence is well cast but underused – her interactions with Bibb are among the acting highlights. Nora Dunn as Jean is restrained, leaving us with the impression that the actor wanted to give a lot more than she was permitted. It’s an engaging performance nonetheless.

The climax involves an old family secret being revealed and although this prompts some very dramatic scenes, the supposedly shocking divulgence falls flat, having not been set up effectively in the first act. It subsequently feels detached from the main thread of the plot, like a forced add-on or an underdeveloped tangent.

Those in search of an easy distraction might be satisfied, although you would be forgiven for thinking you’ve stumbled across a made-for-TV film from 15 years ago – so archaic is its style and storytelling. The cast do their best with the material and Wight’s clearly invested a lot of her heart and soul into the project, but in doing so she seems to have forgotten what her audience is after. The blueprint was there for something deeper but the creative choices, or lack of, render this formulaic, familiar and safe, and we are left grieving for the film it might have been.

Jonathan Marshall

The Lost Husband is released digitally on demand on 7 th September 2020.

Watch the trailer for The Lost Husband here:

More in Movie reviews

The Fall Guy

The Idea of You

Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry

Love Lies Bleeding

In the Land of Saints and Sinners

Ordinary Angels

Boy Kills World

Challengers

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

The Fall Guy turns the summer blockbuster into an earnest love letter to the movies

Ryan Gosling has a vehicle tailor-made for his movie star charisma and estimable talents.

Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly with over seven years of experience in the entertainment industry. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, Ms. Magazine , The Hollywood Reporter , and more. She's worked at EW for six years covering film, TV, theater, music, and books. The author of EW's quarterly romance review column, "Hot Stuff," Maureen holds Master's degrees from both the University of Southern California and the University of Oxford. Her debut novel, It Happened One Fight , is now available. Follow her for all things related to classic Hollywood, musicals, the romance genre, and Bruce Springsteen.

There’s a shot near the middle of The Fall Guy where a soaking-wet Ryan Gosling emerges from the Sydney Harbor, a white shirt plastered to his body. Behind him, the iconic Sydney Opera House stands bathed in the light of the raging flames of a nearby boating accident. 

Then, my jaw dropped, and I uttered something to the effect of “Jesus Christ.” Because Gosling and filmmaker David Leitch , himself a former stuntman, know exactly what they’re doing. And it’s not merely making the heart of anyone with a pulse race a little faster (although, yes, obviously). 

With this shot, Leitch delivers what makes The Fall Guy such a winning proposition — Gosling, at last, bringing all his strengths to bear in one project. He gets to embody his full potential here — as a drop-dead gorgeous leading man, an action star in a moment of triumph, and a winking comedian, poking fun at his own image.

Eric Laciste/Universal Pictures

In many ways, this sums up the appeal of The Fall Guy, a joy-ride of a summer blockbuster that packs all the right punches from its action sequences to its chemistry-laden central romance to its meta love for the movies and the unsung heroes who make them feel real.

The film, inspired by the 1980s TV series of the same name, follows Gosling’s Colt Seavers, a stuntman who suffers a terrible on-set accident and then is recruited out of retirement to help rescue the debut directorial effort of his lost love, Judy Moreno ( Emily Blunt) , by tracking down missing leading man, Tom Ryder ( Aaron Taylor-Johnson ). But when Ryder’s disappearance brings danger to Colt’s door, he has to fight to save himself and the woman he loves.

Gosling does, in fact, do many of his own stunts here, including riding a piece of sheet metal like a wakeboard (the credits take care to show us what was him and what was a stunt double, of which there were at least eight). The glee with which he hurls himself through glass balconies and the beauty with which he takes a punch only heighten the film’s riotous sense of fun.

For decades, Gosling has been bringing movie star charisma in spades. But The Fall Guy feels like a pinnacle of sorts: Colt Seavers is the apotheosis of all Gosling has to offer. His adrenaline-fueled world-weariness is a potent post-modern blend of Harrison Ford cynicism and Tom Cruise everyman machismo, with goofy, stone-faced humor as the cherry on top.

From The Nice Guys to Barbie, Gosling has proven his comedic chops, but he gets to ratchet up his deadpan delivery and panache for physical comedy to the extreme here. The Fall Guy is a vehicle worthy of his multifaceted talents, and he drives it like he stole it. Who else could make crying to Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (10-minute version)” or being interrogated by a goon squad so riotously funny? 

Gosling is perfectly paired with Blunt, who infuses Jody with brightness and grounded professionalism. It’s refreshing and downright inspiring to see such a capable, brilliant female director character on screen. Blunt’s Jody is not merely skillful; she’s innovative and warm, neither a tyrant on her set nor a pushover. With Jody, Blunt gets to dispel the myth of the male genius director, all while sporting fashionable Greta Gerwig-worthy jumpsuits and investing as much thought into shooting record-breaking cannon rolls as crafting a satisfying love story.

Universal Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

One of which she gets herself, threading the needle of heartbreak and attraction as she wrestles with Colt’s sudden return to her life. Blunt and Gosling’s chemistry is the stuff of rom-com dreams, a warm, grounded affection evident between them in every scene. There’s a spark there, yes, but there’s also something deeper, a tenderness and intimacy that goes beyond a mere sexual connection. That’s not to say they’re not sexy together; their clenches are full of passion (amped up by wind generated by helicopter blades). But they’re also able to channel that chemistry into the “com” half of the rom-com equation, making hilarious comedic bits out of heartbroken karaoke sessions and (multiple) unexpected reunions. We’re invited to have fun right along with them.

Winston Duke also shines. The imposing build that made Black Panther’s M’Baku a thirst trap is repurposed into his work as loyal stunt coordinator Dan Tucker. Duke’s charms and mischievous sense of humor get their time in the spotlight (especially with Dan's penchant for increasingly silly movie references), showcasing his sweeter side.

Eric Laciste/Universal Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection

If the movie has any faults, it’s in its pacing, spending a hair too long on exposition. But once the real stunting begins, things move at an adrenaline-fueled clip toward its explosive ending.

With The Fall Guy, Leitch has composed a heartfelt love letter to his first family behind the camera — the stunt crew. From Colt’s impassioned monologue about how messed up it is that there’s no Oscar category for stunts to the sheer, simple act of making their dangerous work visible, Leitch shines a light on the crew members who put their lives on the line to make movies. He calls attention to stunt protocol (all the thumbs-ups!) while delivering action sequences that are pure giddy popcorn entertainment.

The Fall Guy is a peek behind the curtain of movie-making, giving audiences a glimpse of how the sausage gets made, nailing the industry’s peculiar blend of monotony and high stakes. It also romanticizes life on a set, the exhausted, late-night conversations, the adrenaline rush of nailing a oner, and the harried excitement of operating a camera on a rig amidst a crowd scene. Every frame is a testament to Leitch's love for movies — and a reminder of why we should love them (and the people who make them), too.

This meta ouroboros, movie-within-a-movie structure only works because The Fall Guy is such unabashed fun packaged in solid, old-fashioned filmmaking. That’s not to say there’s no real stakes. There are (certainly more than many franchise films where characters seem to have nine-plus lives). But The Fall Guy wants to celebrate the blockbuster, not shame it. And it does so with a wickedly smart script from Drew Pearce (the movie has one of the most divinely ridiculous, satisfying examples of planting and pay-off in recent memory).

The Fall Guy offers a potent blend of action and romance, as refreshing as one of its touted “spicy margaritas.” Sure, it’s got a little kick, but mostly, it exists to ensure that anyone who consumes it has a fantastic time. Grade: A-

Want more movie news? Sign up for  Entertainment Weekly 's free newsletter  to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content:

• The Fall Guy  cast actual stuntmen in supporting roles: ‘It's life imitating art’
• 'The Fall Guy' breaks Guinness World Record for stunt previously held by James Bond movie
• The Fall Guy  filmmakers break down Ryan Gosling's high-flying stunts in first trailer

Related Articles

Press Herald

Account Subscription: ACTIVE

Questions about your account? Our customer service team can be reached at [email protected] during business hours at (207) 791-6000 .

Nick Schroeder’s perfect day includes a show in South Paris and vintage shopping in Biddeford

The communications manager for Space and member of Mad Horse Theatre Company would also make Rockland and several Portland shops part of the itinerary.

You are able to gift 5 more articles this month.

Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Learn more .

With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month.

It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. To get one, go to the subscriptions page .

Loading....

Nick Schroeder, 42, of Portland, is communications manager and multidisciplinary programmer for Space, a nonprofit arts venue in Portland. He’s also an actor, director and ensemble member with Mad Horse Theatre Company in South Portland. A native of Old Orchard Beach, he’s worked as a journalist and editor at several local publications.

As much as I like bopping around the state by myself, I’ll spend my perfect Maine day with my partner, Mallory, and our nearly 3-year-old toddler. The kid’s in the stage of life where she asks why to just about everything, and that question makes for good conversation.

Getting dressed (finding pants, socks, etc. and negotiating their deployment) can take a while in my house, so we’ll put on WMPG to keep the energy loose. I’ll pour a good cup of coffee, Speckled Ax Early Riser preferred , in my clunky travel mug. Then we’ll get things cracking at that one real good climbing tree in the park for a little proprioceptive rinse. The branches are real low to the ground and I don’t have to worry about my kid taking any nasty falls.

The Palace Diner in Biddeford. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

Will Zu Bakery still have croissants by now, or is that too much morning meandering? The neighbors tend to swarm the little West End spot – how is it this good? – and it can quickly sell out. If that’s the case, we’ll drive south. Actually, scratch that – Mallory will drive this leg, and I’ll bike. Our destinations will be the same, Palace Diner (in Biddeford). I’ll have the omelet du jour and those great big potatoes, and maybe a bite of my kid’s pancake – the dad handbook clearly states that you must eat your children’s leftovers. We’ll all poke our heads inside Biddeford Vintage Market and see what new vendors they’ve got (my aunt Barb runs the place with some friends) before making a quick spin into Color.Sound.Oblivion to check their newly stocked records.

The Basico – an arepa stuffed with chicken, cheese and pico de gallo – with a side of pan de bono and a cup of verduritas (spicy green sauce) from Maiz in Portland. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

With family who live nearby, I’ll be able to ditch the bike and hop into the car, heading north. We’ll stop in Portland to grab a couple of arepas for the road from the outrageously good Colombian food restaurant Maïz, and head to South Paris. In this fantasy, the Celebration Barn has a perfectly timed matinee show, and true to form, it’s equally enchanting for kids and adults.

The Celebration Barn in South Paris. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

After that, we’ll drive to Rockland (here’s where the kid naps) and head to a beach (any beach) before I pop into Curator , one of few consignment shops that bothers to stock nice stuff for tall fellas. Then it’s over to Rock City Cafe for a refill and a poke around Hello Hello Books behind the cafe. Last time, I found a nice used paperback of a Judy Chicago biography. Will I get this lucky again?

A stack of books at Print: A Bookstore in Portland. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

Returning to Portland, we’ll have had our fill of driving and Raffi sing-alongs. It’s time for our A-list East End retail trifecta – Ferdinand  for handmade wonders, Starry Eyes  for snazzy kids’ stuff, and Print: A Bookstore (more books!).

For dinner, the ideal is Asmara , the great Eritrean gem, where we as a family can share big communal plates of colorful food using only our hands as utensils. After we put the kid to bed, I’ll text a friend, and if his kid’s asleep, too, we can sneak out for a little nightcap at the Continental and discuss the news.

How would you spend your perfect Maine day? Send your itinerary, in 500 words or less, with a little about yourself, to [email protected] .

A Belhaven beer, a Negroni and a pint of Guinness at The Continental in Portland. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer

Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.

Enter your email and password to access comments.

Forgot Password?

Don't have a commenting profile? Create one.

Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. Already have a commenting profile? Login .

Invalid username/password.

Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.

Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. You will receive an email to complete the registration. Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate.

Already registered? Log in to join the discussion.

Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why .

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

Send questions/comments to the editors.

Member Log In

Please enter your username and password below. Already a subscriber but don't have one? Click here .

Not a subscriber? Click here to see your options

'The Fall Guy' review: Ryan Gosling brings his A game as a lovestruck stuntman

In “Barbie,” Ryan Gosling ’s job is Beach. In “ The Fall Guy, ” it’s Stunt and he’s pretty great at his gig.

Gosling nicely follows up his Oscar-nominated Ken turn as an embattled Everyman who falls 12 stories, gets thrown through glass and pulls off an epic car jump, among other death-defying moments in the breezily delightful “Fall Guy” (★★★ out of four; rated PG-13; in theaters Friday).

Director David Leitch, former stunt double for a fella named Brad Pitt, revamps the 1980s Lee Majors TV show as an action-comedy ode to the stunt performers who never get their due, while Gosling and Emily Blunt dazzle as likable exes who reconnect amid gonzo circumstances.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

"I'm not the hero of this story. I'm just the stunt guy," says Colt Seavers (Gosling) in voiceover as we first meet him. Colt is considered Hollywood's best stuntman, doubling for egotistical A-lister Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and fostering a flirty relationship with camera operator Jody Moreno (Blunt). However, a stunt goes accidentally awry in his latest movie, breaking his back as well as disrupting his love life, mental health and entire status quo.

'The Fall Guy': Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt talk 'epic' 'I'm Just Ken' Oscars performance

A year later, down on his luck and confidence still shaken, Colt is parking cars as a valet at a burrito joint when he gets a call from producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham). Jody, now an on-the-rise director, needs him in Sydney to work on her first huge sci-fi epic “Metalstorm.” He gets there and after a gnarly cannon roll in a stunt car where he takes out a camera, Colt learns that not only did Jody not ask for him, she doesn’t want him around at all. 

Still, the old spark's there and it turns out she does really need him: Tom has befriended some shady dudes and gone missing, and Gail tasks Colt to both keep Tom's disappearance a secret and also find the dude. Alongside stunt coordinator and pal Dan Tucker (Winston Duke), Colt uncovers a criminal conspiracy and in the process goes undercover as Tom in a nightclub (wearing some Ken-esque shades and cool coat), gets so high he sees unicorns and teams up with a dog that only takes commands in French.

Colt is put through the physical ringer during his twisty hero's journey, and it’s impossible not to love him through every punch, kick, stab and dangerous feat because of Gosling’s offbeat charisma. Before “Barbie,” he showed his considerable comedic talents in “The Nice Guys” and “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” yet marries them well here with a healthy amount of vulnerable masculinity and sublime nuance. With him, a thumbs-up – the stuntman’s go-to signal that everything’s OK – is also a way for Colt to try and hide his sensitivities.

Like Leitch’s other movies, from “Bullet Train” to “Atomic Blonde,” “Fall Guy” is filled with fights, explosions and assorted derring-do for Colt to (barely) live through. One mayhem-filled car chase scene has Gosling’s character tussling with a goon on an out-of-control trailer interspersed with Blunt singing Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds.” (It's essentially a two-hour argument for a stunt Oscar category.) The movie sports a definite musical heart, with an amusing scene between Jody and a weepy Colt set to the Taylor Swift lovelorn jam “All Too Well,” and is also interestingly timely considering a plot point about deep fake technology.

The one downside with this sort of stunt spectacular is Colt’s mission to find the narcissistic Tom and getting into hazardous shenanigans takes away from his romantic stuff with Blunt. Playful and quick with the zingers, their characters awkwardly rekindle their romance – in one sequence, she spills all sorts of tea about their past relationship in front of their crew – and you miss them when they're not together.

For ’80s kids, Majors was the “Fall Guy” – and Leitch’s movie pays tribute in multiple ways to the show and its scrappy spirit – but Gosling makes for a fabulous heir apparent. He’s not just Ken. He’s also Colt, and Gosling’s not done showing us the true extent of his talents. 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'The Fall Guy' review: Ryan Gosling brings his A game as a lovestruck stuntman

• Work & Careers
• Life & Arts

Become an FT subscriber

Try unlimited access Only $1 for 4 weeks

Then $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.

• Global news & analysis
• Expert opinion
• Special features
• FirstFT newsletter
• Videos & Podcasts
• Android & iOS app
• FT Edit app
• 10 gift articles per month

Explore more offers.

Standard digital.

• FT Digital Edition

Premium Digital

Print + premium digital, weekend print + standard digital, weekend print + premium digital.

Today's FT newspaper for easy reading on any device. This does not include ft.com or FT App access.

• Global news & analysis
• Exclusive FT analysis
• FT App on Android & iOS
• FirstFT: the day's biggest stories
• 20+ curated newsletters
• Follow topics & set alerts with myFT
• FT Videos & Podcasts
• 20 monthly gift articles to share
• Lex: FT's flagship investment column
• 15+ Premium newsletters by leading experts
• FT Digital Edition: our digitised print edition
• Weekday Print Edition
• Videos & Podcasts
• Premium newsletters
• 10 additional gift articles per month
• FT Weekend Print delivery
• Everything in Standard Digital
• Everything in Premium Digital

Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Pay a year upfront and save 20%.

• 10 monthly gift articles to share
• Everything in Print

Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders. Pay a year upfront and save 20%.

Terms & Conditions apply

Explore our full range of subscriptions.

Why the ft.

See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times.

International Edition

'The Fall Guy' an escapist treat rich with spectacular action, romantic banter

When you’ve got jaw-dropping stunts and the playful chemistry of ryan gosling and emily blunt, who cares whether the plot holds up.

A nearby explosion doesn’t stop a passionate moment between filmmaker Judy (Emily Blunt) and stuntman Colt (Ryan Gosling) in “The Fall Guy.”

Universal Pictures

How’s this for a Hollywood Full Circle story for you:

David Leitch was Brad Pitt’s stunt double on “Fight Club” and a number of other projects. Brad Pitt played a stunt double in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” David Leitch eventually became a top-tier action filmmaker, directing “Atomic Blonde,” “Deadpool 2” — and “Bullet Train,” starring Brad Pitt.

Now comes Leitch’s rousing and action-packed and funny and even heartwarming “The Fall Guy,” with Ryan Gosling playing a stuntman who often doubles for Hollywood’s biggest star — just as David Leitch once doubled for Brad Pitt. Ta-da! (Sidebar: This is the THIRD time Gosling has played some kind of stunt performer, after “Drive” and “The Place Beyond the Pines.”)

Loosely inspired by the Lee Majors-starring TV show from the 1980s and given a rocket-booster jolt of stardom from the pairing of Gosling and Emily Blunt, “The Fall Guy” is pure popcorn entertainment — an absolutely ludicrous yet consistently entertaining, old-fashioned action/romance combo platter that plays like a feature-length pitch to the Academy to add a best stunts category (as it should).

If you’re looking for anything more than an escapist adventure featuring two of our brightest stars exchanging banter in between kissing scenes, set against the backdrop of some jaw-dropping practical effects stunts (mostly performed, of course, by doubles who are filling in for Gosling), you’ve wandered into the wrong theater. The screenplay often falls back on lazy clichés (karaoke sequence, anyone?) and the final act takes place in a universe that has no connection to anything resembling reality, but the action sequences and the playful chemistry between Gosling and Blunt save the day.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays the arrogant movie star who lies about doing his own stunts.

“The Fall Guy” opens with Gosling’s Colt Seavers on the set of an action film starring the global superstar Tom Ryder (a self-deprecating Aaron Taylor-Johnson), an arrogant egomaniac who is constantly bragging about doing his own stunts. (Spoiler alert: He’s lying.) Colt doesn’t care about Ryder’s dismissive attitude toward him; he’s too busy gushing about the love affair he’s having with Emily Blunt’s Jody Moreno, a camera operator on the film. Why, it’s the stuff of movies!

Fast forward 18 months. After a near-fatal accident on that set, Colt is a broken man in more ways than one. He’s retired from stunt work, he has a job as a valet, and he has fallen off the grid. When the powerful producer Gail Meyer (a hilarious Hannah Waddingham) rings Colt and offers him a job on a big-budget sci-fi epic shooting in Australia starring none other than Tom Ryder, he has no interest in returning to the game — until Gail informs him that Jody is directing the film in her feature debut. Down Under here we come!

Once Colt arrives on the location set for “Metalstorm,” which looks like a cross between “Dune” and “Mad Max,” he learns Jody is still furious with him for ghosting her. She takes it out on him by ordering repeated takes of a particularly painful stunt, all the while airing her grievances over a bullhorn. Winston Duke scores some laughs as a stunt coordinator who often quotes dialogue from action blockbusters, while Stephanie Hsu is terrific as Tom Ryder’s long-suffering personal assistant.

When Tom goes missing for reasons that defy logic, it’s an excuse for Colt to put his stunt man skills to work as he investigates, finds himself mixed up in all sorts of dangerous hijinks and is eventually framed for murder. If you spend even a nanosecond examining the particulars of the case and the developments that ensue, the whole structure falls apart — so it’s best to just sit back and marvel at the amazing stunt work

“The Fall Guy” is filled with self-referential, “meta” moments, whether it’s a scene where Colt enters a booth where his face can be scanned for use in perpetuity, or a sequence in which Jody and Colt are on the phone, discussing the possibility of Jody employing a split-screen technique in “Metalstorm,” and the conversation itself is rendered in … split-screen. Even the plot of “Metalstorm” is one big metaphor for the relationship between Colt and Jody. None of it this is particularly subtle, but it’s good fun, and it continues all the way through the closing credits, where we get to see the real-life stunt performers who did nomination-worthy work on the film.

If only the Academy had a category in which they could be nominated.