Today’s quick review: Love, Lost & Found. Joey Bufalino (Jake Stormoen), a camera-happy social media star, takes his girlfriend Claire McAllister (Danielle C. Ryan), a hard-working tech entrepreneur, on a romantic hiking trip to propose. When Claire falls in a river, Joey and Natalie (Melanie Stone), a socially awkward park ranger, set out to rescue her. Instead, Claire is found by Colt (Trevor Donovan), a local rancher and her ex-boyfriend.
Love, Lost & Found is a romantic comedy about a couple who get separated on a hiking trip. Joey and Claire are self-obsessed people, more concerned with their respective careers than with each other. While separated in the wilderness, they are forced to take a step back and reexamine their relationship and their priorities in life. Love, Lost & Found features a cute setup and a serviceable story, but its execution falls somewhat short.
The main weakness of Love, Lost & Found is its characters. Joey and Claire are deliberately hard to like, flawed characters who grow as the movie goes on, but even their best moments are not that engaging. Natalie and Colt fare better, alternate love interests who are meant to pull Joey and Claire out of their ruts. But none of the prospective couples have strong chemistry, so the romance feels shallow and forced.
As for its story, Love, Lost & Found sticks to the basics. Joey and Claire find something new in Natalie and Colt, while the wilderness helps them detach from their technology-obsessed lifestyles. To the movie’s credit, it never takes itself too seriously. The drama is light and harmless, and the plot serves as an excuse for character development, with no real twists or surprises.
Love, Lost & Found makes for a decent romantic comedy in a pinch, but it finds itself outclassed by movies with better characters, better chemistry, and more engaging stories. Love, Lost & Found has only its gorgeous environments to separate it from the other movies in the genre. Otherwise, it has a shaky core and never gets much traction. Steer clear unless you’re looking for something pleasant but rote.
For a more charming trek through the wilderness, try Hunt for the Wilderpeople. For a darker story set in the woods, try Blood Money or The Contract. For a sci-fi thriller that delves deeper into the dark side of social media, try The Circle. For a more cynical romantic comedy about a relationship on the rocks, try 500 Days of Summer.
[5.4 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13303456/). I give it a 5.5 for a reasonable setup let down by lackluster characters.