I’ve always loved me some romance, but in recent years, we’ve had so few good romantic movies that I’m genuinely wondering where this genre is going. I’ve never read The Map That Leads To You, so I went into the movie entirely fresh, and I had no idea what I was in for. The film follows Heather, an American college student who is organized and a massive planner, who decides to go on a trip to Europe with her two best friends before starting her big girl job. Soon after, she meets a man named Jack unexpectedly on a train, and they instantly hit it off. Jack is the opposite of Heather in every way. He’s not organized at all, and he’s basically backpacking through Europe following a journal that his great-grandfather left behind. The film then follows the romance that blossoms between this duo and what that eventually leads to.
So, the book came out in 2017, which I think was the peak of this specific genre of romance where the characters are complete opposites and there is one teeny-tiny thing (which would be a spoiler) that is keeping them from being together in earnest. I mean, this kind of story has been told way too many times before, but I think there was a brief period in between where the superhero stuff might’ve overshadowed the genre, making writers skeptical to steer that way too. This movie would’ve done numbers if it came out anytime between 2014 and 2016. But the truth is, it’s like getting all the ingredients of a nice dish, only to end up taking the most unseasoned bite.
I can’t really say that this is a formulaic movie, though it is pretty tropey, and if you think about it, every few years we’ll have a resurgence of films like this. I’m not sure why there’s this need in a romance for one character to bring alive another, to show them the world in a new light. This is what makes the movie a little bit dull to me. I do think that it’s mainly the timing that has not worked in its favor. Recently, we got My Oxford Year on Netflix, which also had many people dissatisfied, and I have a feeling this film will give you the same feeling by the end, even if it is more optimistic. Also, can I just say that it’s as if Netflix and Prime have their own romance going, because Netflix will release a gloomy, rainy, and moody film or TV show, and then Prime will release something similar with a summer theme and bright colors. Am I on to something there?
In terms of characters, Heather is a compelling lead, and I personally feel like I’ve seen the roles reversed many times, but to have a driven female character is much more interesting than having the man being (apparently) “distracted” by a woman of free will. Like, look at the Bollywood movies Jab We Met or Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (which shares the Tomatina festival with this film), where a male character is too serious in life, and then there’s a woman who needs to open his eyes to a new world, a broader perspective that makes him realize he’s never truly lived his life. It’s more fresh to see it the other way around, and there’s more room to play around, in my opinion. I think Madelyn Cline has a very charming quality to her, and even when she’s presenting an argument, she feels very natural and easy-going. She carries Heather really well, but there isn’t much room for her to explore emotionality with her character. I mean, sure, this is an emotional film, but much more time is spent “living in the moment.”
On the other hand, it’s quite fun to see KJ Apa use his natural New Zealand accent, but there’s something missing in his performance that I can’t put my finger on. But that is also how I feel about the movie overall. Just like something is missing. I think they’ve got decent chemistry. I’m not sure if I agree with this instant love connection situation; it’s not very realistic. I definitely think there are a lot of safety hazards that had alarms going off in my brain in the first half of the film, but it is a film at the end of the day, and a romance at that.
I do think the film is quite quotable, but that probably comes from the novel itself. It definitely has a nostalgic quality to it, and I loved the illustrations in the journal. The second act of the film definitely feels like a montage from YouTube, “Oh look here, I went on a beautiful trip to Europe with my boyfriend”-esque.It definitely feels a little bit meandering, but that’s how Heather feels, I suppose, and she is the narrator. The end of the film feels slightly rushed in the process of giving us an ambiguous ending that should ideally make viewers happy.
Mild spoilers ahead, so skip to the final paragraph for my rating if you prefer. I did mention My Oxford Year already, but I’d like to add Me Before You, The Fault In Our Stars, and even A Walk To Remember, amongst others, to the category of films this one belongs to. Having said that, you know exactly what I’m talking about, so I won’t spell it out for you. If you haven’t seen any of these films, then you might actually enjoy The Map That Leads To You, because you won’t feel saturated by the numerous one-sick-person-who-must-fulfill-their-life’s-purpose plotlines. I don’t have a problem with it at all, don’t get me wrong, but I do feel that it’s always done in the same exact way, so you never feel like you’re getting anything new from these films. It also makes this form of storytelling very generic, so there’s literally no emotion after a certain point. For the older films on the list, I was definitely weeping, but for the newer ones, I didn’t feel any connection to the characters, who seem almost half empty.
At the end of the day, The Map That Leads To You isn’t anything special at all. It’s got a few moments that make for a decent watch, but ultimately it’s simply forgettable. I wouldn’t turn you off it entirely; some people might find it interesting, while others might think it’s the same old thing. I’d give The Map That Leads To You 2.5 out of 5 stars.
