Heather’s European adventure takes a turn when she meets Jack, sparking an unexpected emotional journey neither of them saw coming.
Heather (Madelyn Cline) and her friends are on a European adventure when she meets Jack (KJ Apa). Heather has her whole life planned out, while Jack is spontaneous and lives in the moment. They strike up a friendship that eventually leads to more, but life gets in the way.
When I first read the synopsis of this film, I figured it was a rip-off of one of my favorite films, “Before Sunrise.” It is in the same vein, but not as intimate or romantic as anything in the “Before” trilogy.
The romance could have used some work. Cline and Apa did have chemistry together, but I didn’t feel a strong romantic connection between them. To me, their characters just felt like good friends. Part of that is because Heather tries to set boundaries at first with Jack, knowing it’s a bad idea to get involved with a boy she just met when she has to go back home soon.
Something that was an unexpected delight for me is that most of the film takes place in Barcelona and Portugal, which is where I spent my vacation this summer. It was nice to recognize the streets they filmed on and reminisce about the places I went to this summer. Europe is just so more picturesque than America. It’s nice to pretend you are actually there with these characters.
There is a “twist” that is supposed to bring on the tears, but I saw it coming from a mile away. I never understand why characters, especially in romance films, do not tell their love interest about their health problems. It causes a lot of unnecessary drama, which is the case in this film too.
Spoilers here, but Jack agreeing to go to New York with Heather just to abandon her at the airport and ghost her afterwards is a huge jerk move. He should have told her that he got a call where the doctors wanted him to do tests for cancer, and he is going to stay in Europe because they have free healthcare.
Cline and Apa have been stuck in the YA genre with their TV shows, “Outer Banks” and “Riverdale.” This film fits into that genre as well, but I’m curious to see if they will break out in any way.
Overall, I think “The Map That Leads to You” is a cute movie. Its European setting is a highlight, but the romance itself could use some work.
Streaming exclusively on Prime Video on Wednesday, August 20th
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