The Lost Girls
By Danny Brogan,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Peter Pan "sequel" has iffy plot, unlikable characters.

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The Lost Girls
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Based on 1 parent review
Do not watch or let your child see this
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What's the Story?
In THE LOST GIRLS, Wendy Darling (Livia De Paolis) struggles to get over her first true love, Peter Pan (Louis Partridge). When her daughter, Berry (Ella-Rae Smith), receives a visit from the boy who can fly and never grows up -- just as Wendy's mother and grandmother did so before her -- Wendy is forced to face what has defined her entire life.
Is It Any Good?
While some of its outdated stereotypes and language is today rightfully called out, J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan remains a classic and much loved story. Which is why The Lost Girls, which builds on Barrie's original tale, should be admired for its courage in taking on such a task. Unfortunately it fails to deliver on nearly every level. The drama takes place some 60 to 70 years after Peter Pan first visited the Darling household. We soon discover that Pan is something of an obnoxious boy who becomes angry at various female members of the Darling family for … getting old. So, somewhat creepily, he returns sporadically when a new Darling reaches the age of 13, magically appearing in their bedroom no less. Rather than be cause for concern, the original Wendy -- played by the iconic Vanessa Redgrave -- talks as if this home invasion is the best thing to happen to a young girl, while her granddaughter, also called Wendy, is overcome with jealously due to the fact that Pan is now more interested in her own daughter.
If the icky storyline isn't enough to put you off, the acting -- despite the presence of Redgrave and, briefly, her own real-life daughter, Joely Richardson -- is poor. Some of the scenes are reminiscent of a TV soap opera, and not a good one at that. The direction is little better, with characters suddenly appearing or erupting in an abrupt outburst. It has the disjointed feel of a dream, but sadly one you can't wait to wake up from. Based on a book released in 2001, fans of book adaptations or even Barrie's original material will find nothing here to delight.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the character of Wendy in The Lost Girls. What made her the way she was? Was she a sympathetic character? Why, or why not? How did she treat other people, including her own family?
What about Peter Pan? Why might some of his behavior be construed as problematic?
Discuss some of the threat in the movie. Did the movie's fantasy tone affect the impact of those moments? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
Have you read or watched any other versions of the Peter Pan story? Did this movie add anything to that world?
Movie Details
- In theaters: June 17, 2022
- On DVD or streaming: June 17, 2022
- Cast: Livia De Paolis, Vanessa Redgrave, Louis Partridge
- Director: Livia De Paolis
- Studio: Vertical Entertainment
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Book Characters, Pirates
- Run time: 100 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: September 4, 2022
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