Lonely Planet Soundtrack Guide: All 3 Songs Explained

October 11, 20245 Mins Read

Spoilers are ahead for Lonely Planet’s ending.

Even though Lonely Planet‘s soundtrack boasts fewer needle-drop moments than the average romantic drama, the Netflix film’s song selection is pretty great, especially for fans of alternative and R&B music. Written and directed by Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich, Party of Five), Lonely Planet‘s age-gap romance centers on acclaimed novelist Katherine Loewe (Laura Dern) and aimless finance guy Owen Brophy (Liam Hemsworth). When his long-term girlfriend, newly minted bestselling author Lily Kemp (Diana Silvers), is invited to a writer’s retreat in Morocco, Owen goes along for the ride. Fatefully, Katherine attends the same retreat to finish her novel.

Since Katherine is seeking solitude and Owen feels left out of the writers’ club, the pair end up spending a significant amount of time together. With both Katherine and Owen looking for ways to become “unstuck,” both professionally and personally, the duo realize they have a lot to learn from each other. Instead of going through the familiar motions of their lives, Katherine and Owen learn to take risks in order to find what makes them truly happy in Lonely Planet‘s ending. In typical Netflix romantic drama fashion, Lonely Planet‘s soundtrack underscores the big life changes Katherine and Owen experience.

“Open”

Artist: Rhye

At an hour and nine minutes into Lonely Planet, “Open” by Rhye plays when Katherine and Owen begin their romantic relationship in earnest. An R&B musical project formed by Canadian singer Mike Milosh and Danish instrumentalist Robin Hannibal, Rhye released its debut album, Woman, in 2013. “Open” is one of the lead singles from that project, and it resonates beautifully with what’s happening in Lonely Planet. After confirming that there’s no salvaging his relationship with Lily, Owen packs his bags, tanks his chances at succeeding at a job he loathes, and asks Katherine to join him on a new adventure.

Laura Dern & Liam Hemsworth smiling during Lonely Planet interview

Laura Dern & Liam Hemsworth Were Blown Away By Their Connection In Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet stars Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth discuss their easy chemistry in the new Netflix movie and how it mirrored their characters.

Katherine can’t help but ask Owen what, exactly, the two of them are doing. Owen doesn’t have answers — not in the short- or long-term scope of their connection. However, he admits that he’s happy to be doing whatever it is with Katherine. Next, a montage of Katherine and Owen exploring a new part of Morocco unfolds. They tentatively hold hands on the beach for the first time and, after nightfall, kiss in an alleyway. “Open” scores the couple’s first time having sex but then fades away when the scene changes to the blissful couple lying in bed together.

“Back On 74”

Artist: Jungle

At just shy of an hour and twenty-five minutes, “Back on 74” by Jungle plays, scoring the scene change between Katherine’s book-launch event and her chance run-in with Owen at a New York City bar. An electronic-dance song by the British band Jungle, “Back on 74,” saw a surge in popularity after it went viral on TikTok in late 2023. However, the groovy song is also a great fit for Lonely Planet‘s final scenes between Katherine and Owen. While leaving a bar, Owen catches sight of Katherine, who he hasn’t seen in months.

A collage of six of the best movies on Netflix in October 2024 including Edge of Tomorrow, Godzilla Minus One, and American Psycho

30 Best Movies On Netflix Right Now (October 2024)

From Godzilla Minus One to Under Paris and The Gentlemen, here are our picks for the best movies on Netflix for everyone to enjoy this month.

Even though Katherine is surrounded by other members of Lonely Planet‘s cast of characters, Owen decides to say a quick “hello” to his one-time fling. After a stilted exchange, Owen leaves the bar — but Katherine chases after him. On the street, Katherine apologizes to Owen for her cut-and-run behavior and for how she acted after she lost her book to a laptop thief in Morocco. Owen insists that it’s fine, but Katherine continues to apologize. “You were never a distraction,” Katherine tells Owen before they kiss, “you were the whole point.“

“Boyhood”

Artist: The Japanese House

After Katherine and Owen share a kiss on the streets of New York City, “Boyhood” by The Japanese House plays. Not only does the song score the optimistic rekindling of the couple’s relationship, but it plays over the movie’s end credits as well. Fronted by Amber Bain, The Japanese House produces alternative and indie-pop, or dream-pop, tunes. The lyrics of “Boyhood” fit particularly well with Lonely Planet‘s ending, which is all about Katherine and Owen’s sense of self-discovery and self-realization — both together and individually.

Where To Listen To The Lonely Planet Movie Soundtrack

Lonely Planet’s Soundtrack Features A Great Score & Other Songs

As of the film’s release on October 11, 2024, there’s no official soundtrack or playlist for Netflix’s Lonely Planet. Some Spotify and YouTube users have curated makeshift playlists that capture the feel of the film, but none of them contain the instrumental tracks that score most of the Moroccan-set romantic drama’s runtime. For viewers who enjoyed the score and soundtrack of Lonely Planet, it might be easiest to watch the film’s end credits and compile an unofficial playlist on Spotify, YouTube, or a similar music-sharing platform.