The following contains spoilers for The Lost City, now playing in theaters.
The Lost City had quite a few classic romantic tropes involved, which was unsurprising because modern rom-coms love to pay tribute to what came before. Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock have been in the romance genre many times in the past, making their roles as Alan (a hunky book cover model) and Loretta (the novelist he’s trying to rescue) even funnier.
Among the tropes they touched on was the woman ogling the hero’s muscular body, per when Alan got leeches on him after wading in the river. Not to mention there was quite a few damsel in distress moments prevalent in ’80s movies such as Romancing the Stone. However, there was one cheesy, cliched trope the film put a new, refreshing spin on.
This is the ultimate trope of “there’s only one bed,” a scenario found in many rom-coms over the years where the male and female are forced to share a common space. They then bond, realizing there are warm, fuzzy feelings and the potential for love. But in The Lost City’s case, it’s not a bed — it’s a hammock, seeing as Alan and Loretta are on a mysterious island.
It took the trope to a new level because the hammock forced Loretta and Alan to sleep in extremely close proximity. It added familiarity, which helped ease their tension with each other. It made Alan realize Loretta wasn’t as cold and heartless as she came off, and she connected with him, understanding he wanted to save her and wasn’t the himbo she first assumed. Ultimately, they found stability, which felt spiritual, speaking to Alan lacking direction in life, and Loretta not being able to move past her dead husband.
That said, there were many awkward, clumsy moments as they navigated their topsy Turvey rest, with Loretta feeling guilty and Alan nervous. Still, despite starting off facing away from each other, they naturally shifted throughout the night, leading to Loretta waking up to find herself cuddling with Alan. It felt less contrived and more sentimental.
It made them feel trapped and confined, yet comfortable enough. As a result, they got as close as possible at a time Loretta wanted far away from Alan so she could find the Crown of Fire, while he wanted her to understand how she gave him purpose by immortalizing him on her book covers.
In the end, the trope worked wonders because it disarmed them and added nuance, compassion and empathy to their tale. And more so, they established an intimacy that’d help them evade Abigail and his hunters, eventually discovering the secret treasure wasn’t jewelry but finding each other.
To see how the hammock subverts a tired trope, check out The Lost City, now playing in theaters.
