If you saw the trailer for The Lost Prince (originally Le Prince oublié) back in 2020 and thought you were getting a standard, run-of-the-mill Disney clone, you were probably pretty confused by the actual film. It stars Omar Sy. You know him from Lupin or The Intouchables. He’s got that massive, effortless charisma that usually carries a movie all by itself, but here, he’s working inside a visual fever dream from Michel Hazanavicius.
Hazanavicius is the guy who did The Artist. He likes stylization. He likes playing with the medium. In The Lost Prince, he tries to do something almost impossible: he wants to show us the literal, physical architecture of a father's imagination.
It’s a story about Djibi (Sy), a single dad who spends every night telling his daughter, Sofia, elaborate bedtime stories. These aren't just stories; they are a cinematic universe where he is a dashing Prince and she is the Princess. But then she grows up. She turns 12. Suddenly, the "Prince" isn't the hero of her dreams anymore. Some kid named Max from school is.
The Brutal Reality of Growing Up in The Lost Prince Movie
Most family movies treat growing up as this magical, "circle of life" moment. This movie treats it like a demolition derby. Inside the "Storyland" world—which is this vibrant, practical-set heavy studio space—the Prince finds himself being relegated to the "Subconscious," a dusty basement where forgotten characters go to die. It’s actually kind of dark for a PG-rated flick.
Honestly, the movie is less about kids and more about the mid-life crisis of fatherhood. When Sofia starts hiding her phone and locking her door, Djibi doesn't just feel lonely; his entire internal world literally starts to crumble. The movie uses high-contrast colors and whimsical costumes to mask what is essentially a psychological drama about letting go.
It’s weird.
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One minute you’re watching a colorful chase scene with a bumbling sidekick (played by Bérénice Bejo), and the next, you’re hit with the crushing realization that parents eventually become secondary characters in their children's lives. That's the core of The Lost Prince movie. It isn't just about a magical kingdom. It's about the ego death of a dad.
Why the Visuals Divided Everyone
When it dropped, critics didn't really know what to do with it. Was it for kids? Was it for adults? The "Storyland" sequences look like a mix between Wes Anderson and a 1950s backlot. Hazanavicius avoided heavy CGI where he could, opting for physical sets that feel tactile. You can almost smell the paint.
This gives the film a "stagy" quality. Some people hated that. They wanted Frozen or Shrek levels of digital polish. But the choice was intentional. The world of the stories is supposed to look like it was built by a dad's limited but loving imagination. It’s supposed to look like a theater production because, in Djibi’s mind, he’s been performing for an audience of one for a decade.
Then there’s the "Forget-Me-Nots." They are these little blue creatures that represent the memories Sofia is losing. They’re cute, but they represent cognitive pruning. It’s heavy stuff for a Saturday afternoon movie.
Omar Sy and the Weight of the Hero Role
Omar Sy is the engine here. Without his vulnerability, the movie would just be a series of eccentric costume changes. He plays the "Real World" Djibi with a frantic, desperate energy. He tries too hard. He shows up at school unannounced. He’s that dad. We all know that dad. Maybe we are that dad.
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In the dream world, he gets to be the classic hero. He’s suave. He’s brave. But as the movie progresses, the "Prince" version of Sy starts to look tired. He starts to lose his powers. It’s a great metaphor for how our kids eventually see through the "superhero" facade we put up. They start seeing our flaws. They start seeing us as just... guys.
The film also features Sarah Gaye as the young Sofia and Keyla Fala as the older version. The transition between them is handled with a lot of grace, even if the "Storyland" logic gets a bit tangled in the second act.
The Subconscious and the "Great Forget"
The most interesting part of The Lost Prince movie is the Subconscious. It’s where the "Old" characters live. It’s a graveyard of imaginary friends and discarded interests. It’s chaotic. It’s messy. It’s basically the junk drawer of the human brain.
Hazanavicius uses this space to explore what happens when we stop being the center of someone's universe. It’s a bit like Pixar’s Inside Out, but with a more European, surrealist edge. It doesn't give you the easy emotional payoffs that a Hollywood studio would. It lingers on the sadness of the "Prince" being replaced by a boy who can't even ride a bike properly.
Why You Should (Or Shouldn't) Watch It Now
If you’re looking for a fast-paced action movie, this isn't it. It’s a slow burn. It’s a mood piece. It’s a movie that asks you to think about your own relationship with your parents or your kids.
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- The Pros: Incredible production design, a soulful performance by Omar Sy, and a genuinely unique take on the "coming of age" genre.
- The Cons: The pacing can be clunky. The shift between the real world and the dream world sometimes feels jarring. It’s almost too smart for its own good, which might bore younger kids who just want to see a guy in a cape.
The soundtrack by Howard Shore—yes, the Lord of the Rings Howard Shore—is surprisingly grand. It treats these bedtime stories with the same gravity as an epic quest to destroy a Ring. It’s beautiful, sweeping, and honestly, a bit overqualified for a movie about a 12-year-old girl’s crush. But that’s the point. To a father, this is an epic. This is the end of an era.
Finding Value in the Mess
Ultimately, The Lost Prince movie is a love letter to storytelling. It suggests that even if we aren't the heroes of the story anymore, we still have a role to play. We become the narrators. We become the supporting cast.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for a "Prince," but it’s the only way to stay in the book.
Actionable Steps for Viewers
- Watch it in the original French: The dubbing often loses the nuance in Omar Sy's voice. Use subtitles; it’s worth it to hear the original cadence of the dialogue.
- Look for the Easter Eggs: The "Storyland" is littered with references to classic cinema. From the framing of the shots to the specific props in the background, Hazanavicius is constantly nodding to the history of film.
- Talk to your kids after: If you watch this with a pre-teen, ask them what their "Storyland" looks like now. It’s a great conversation starter about how their interests are changing.
- Compare it to Inside Out: It’s a fascinating exercise to see how two different cultures (American vs. French) handle the concept of the "inner mind." One is clinical and organized; the other is theatrical and messy.
If you’re a parent, prepare to feel seen. If you’re a fan of French cinema, prepare for a weird, wonderful ride that doesn't quite fit into any specific box. Just don't expect a typical fairytale. This is about what happens after the "Happily Ever After" fades and the real work of growing up begins.
The film is currently available on various streaming platforms depending on your region, often listed under its French title Le Prince oublié. Check your local listings or major VOD services to find it. It remains one of the more ambitious, if polarizing, family films of the last decade.