The Lost City of Z (2016)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A British explorer's obsession with a legendary lost city in the Amazon leads him into a perilous journey of discovery and mystery.
The story
In 1905, British major Percy Fawcett becomes obsessed with the existence of a legendary city in the Amazonian jungle. After discovering evidence of advanced artifacts, he secures backing from the Royal Geographical Society to lead an expedition into the dense wilderness. Accompanied by a team of explorers and guides, Fawcett ventures into the heart of the jungle to find the 'Lost City of Z.' As the expedition faces the harsh realities of the tropical environment and the complexities of the region's geography, Fawcett's determination to uncover the ancient city grows, setting the stage for a perilous quest into the unknown.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows the life of Percy Fawcett, a British explorer who becomes obsessed with finding a legendary lost city in the Amazon. After a successful initial survey of the region's borders, Fawcett discovers artifacts that convince him of the existence of 'the Lost City of Z.' He organizes a second, more ambitious expedition with the help of biologist James Murray. During this journey, the team faces hardships, and Murray is eventually left behind. Following the outbreak of World War I, Fawcett serves in France and is injured in a gas attack. Years later, in 1923, he receives funding from American interests to lead a final expedition with his son, Jack. They travel for years into the jungle, where they are eventually captured by a tribe that claims their spirits belong elsewhere. The film ends with his wife, Nina, refusing to believe he is dead, as she holds a compass he promised to return upon finding the city, while her reflection shows her in the Amazonian jungle.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 140
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James Gray
- Writers
- James Gray · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Charlie Hunnam · Fawcett; Robert Pattinson · Henry Costin; Sienna Miller · Nina Fawcett; Tom Holland · Jack; Angus Macfadyen; Ian McDiarmid; Franco Nero
- Genres
- biographical adventure drama
- Tone and mood
- epic; haunting; visionary
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; adventure; historical
- Source material / true-story basis
- the 2009 book of the same name by David Grann
- Reception
- The film was praised by critics and described as a 'rare piece of contemporary classical cinema' and 'haunting and visionary,' despite its lack of financial success.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 86% · scale: percentage · review count: 250; Metacritic · score: 78 · scale: 100 · review count: 44
- Production trivia
- The name 'Z' was pronounced 'zed' by characters in the film but 'zee' in American promotional materials.; The film was trimmed by 37 minutes for its release in China.; The film was included in the Time magazine's Top 10 Films of 2017.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…