Paul W.S. Anderson’s adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s fantasy short story In the Lost Lands stuck fairly close to the source material, but some of the changes mean the ending requires a bit of elaboration. Martin’s original short story of the same name was first published as part of an anthology in 1982, and it borrows from some of the most prevalent fantasy tropes of the time. Anderson’s movie adaptation features Milla Jovovich as Gray Alys, a rebellious witch living in the last major human city in a post-apocalyptic hellscape, and Dava Bautista as the mysterious vagrant hunter Boyce.

In the Lost Lands, which is now playing nationwide, begins with Gray Alys being hunted by the Church, the religious zealots who oppress the people of the City Under the Mountain led by the bishop-like figure The Patriarch (Fraser Jones) and the head enforcer of the religious law, Ash (Arly Jover). She once again escapes her pursuers, furthering her reputation as “the witch who will not be hanged”, a symbol of rebellion against the Church by the peasantry of the City. She is then approached by the Queen of the Overlord, the high ruler of the City, to fulfill a wish for her.

The Queen wishes for the power to shapeshift into a beast, for reasons known only to her, but it’s implied she lusts for power. Gray Alys, who never refuses those who ask a wish of her, agrees to chase down this power in the Lost Lands, the nightmarish, demon-infested lands outside the City. She recruits a wandering hunter named Boyce (who is revealed to be the Queen’s primary consort) to accompany her given his knowledge of the Lost Lands, and the two fight their way out of the City with Ash and the Church’s enforcers H๏τ on their heels.

The two journey across the Lost Lands to Skull River, where an ultra-powerful werewolf is known to live, so that Gray Alys might extract his power for the Queen. Along the way, the nature of Gray Alys’ magic is revealed; she is essentially a walking Monkey’s Paw, with the wishes she grants coming true, but rarely being beneficial to the wishers. Their journey culminates with a final showdown at Skull River, after which Gray Alys fulfills the wishes she’s granted to varying effect.

In The Lost Lands’ Ending Twists Gray Alys, Boyce & The Queen’s Stories

Alys’ Plan Comes Full Circle

Once they arrive at Skull River and the full moon rises, it’s revealed that Boyce was actually the werewolf they sought the entire time. Alys knew this, and planted silver in his gunsH๏τ wound while she repaired it, putting silver into his bloodstream and severely weakening him. That allowed her to fight and kill him, or at least cut his werewolf skin away, which she brings to the Queen as a way for her to become a werewolf herself.

The Queen was heartbroken, revealing that she only wanted to become a beast so that she could be together with Boyce, but as a result of Alys’ twisted powers, her way to become a beast only came through killing Boyce. Alys’ return sparks a revolt in the City, and the Queen never does don the werewolf skin. Boyce, meanwhile, returns to confront Alice, having survived his werewolf side’s skinning. It’s revealed that Alys knew that he would survive, and summarily fulfilled his wish by allowing them to ride away together.

Due to her foresight, the ancient witch was able to foresee all the events that came after the Queen approached her, and was therefore able to manipulate everything to ensure that she fulfilled all wishes asked of her. However, in doing so, she also made sure that the outcome she wanted came to pᴀss, with the peasantry rising up to topple both the Church and the Overlord/Queen. It’s another cautionary tale about the potential pitfalls of ambition and desire, in a true “be careful what you wish for” scenario embodied by Gray Alys herself.

Why The Patriarch Wanted Gray Alys Back

She Was Key In Overthrowing The Queen

The Patriarch and Ash sought Gray Alys as the ultimate heretic; her magic not only offended the loose religious morals of the Church, but Gray Alys was also a lightning rod for revolution. Her defiance of the Church inspired the peasantry to rise up against their oppressors, so hanging Alys was a way to ensure they stayed under the Church’s heel. On top of that, Gray Alys could confirm the tales of the Queen’s infidelity, which would help eliminate her authority with the people, and allow the Church to finally overthrow the Overlord and legitimately rule the City.

Gray Alys’ Powers & What They Actually Are Fully Explained

She Deals In Foresight And Illusions

While Gray Alys appears to have a plethora of powers including manipulation of flame, shapeshifting, and telekinesis, her real powers are much simpler. She is capable of foresight, which allows her to see into the future so that she can manipulate events in the present to her desires. She is also capable of creating illusions, which account for most of her so-called “magic”; her victims see what she wishes them to see if they make eye contact with her. She’s also an accomplished hand-to-hand fighter, likely a result of her extremely long life and plenty of practice against her pursuers.

What George R.R. Martin Has Said About In The Lost Lands

He Believes His Voice Was Captured

Director Paul W.S. Anderson noted in an interview with GamesRadar that George R.R. Martin, the author of the original In the Lost Lands short story in addition to the Games of Thrones series of fantasy novels, was given an early screening of the movie. While he was understandably nervous due to the sheer status of the globally-famous writer, he was relieved to get a positive review from Martin. As Anderson detailed:

But at the end, he loved it. He said he felt that I had captured his voice better than anyone had in an adaptation, which made me feel amazing.

Critics and moviegoers alike have been far less kind to Anderson’s adaptation. In the Lost Lands has an abysmal Rotten Tomatoes score, as critics have been bashing the movie’s shoddy CGI, color palette, ill-developed characters and story, and frustrating acting choices.

How In The Lost Lands Sets Up A Sequel

Key Characters Survive The Carnage

In the Lost Lands has a rather final ending, as it covers the entirety of Martin’s original short story, and ends with many of the major characters ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. The movie’s terrible reviews combined with what is projected to be a disappointing box office total despite the star power of Bautista and Jovovich and the ᴀssociation with George R.R. Martin indicate that no studio is going to be lining up to produce a sequel any time soon. However, with both Gray Alys and Boyce surviving the movie’e events and riding away together, their story could theoretically continue in a sequel.

The Real Meaning Of In The Lost Lands

The Consequences Of Desire Are A Key Theme For The Narrative

The lack of depth both in the story and the characters of In the Lost Lands make it difficult to derive much symbolic meaning from the fantasy action movie. However, Gray Alys’ status as a twisted granter of wishes does provide some notion about being careful of what you wish for, lest the consequences be more than you are able to bear. It cautions against the lengths to which some will go for the sake of ambition and love, as the price is not always worth the outcome.

The role of the Church also dips into commentary about the hypocrisy of religion. The zealotry that drives the post-apocalyptic Church is still rife with Christian symbolism, chasing witches, spouting off about heresy, covering their clothing in crosses, etc. They are the most brutal and violent people in the world of In the Lost Lands while simultaneously preaching devotion and faith, in what is a direct reflection of Christianity’s own dark and violent past. However, there isn’t much more to pull out of In the Lost Lands, which sprints between plot points too quickly to develop much deeper meaning.

Source: GamesRadar