The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)

By: Mike Ward on Saturday, February 27

PG-13 Running Time: 98 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

You could do far worse than watching a well-made, young adult, romantic comedy like this one.
Kathryn Newton is quickly becoming one of the best young actors we have, and her chemistry with Kyle Allen here is fun to watch develop.
“Groundhog Day” tendencies notwithstanding, The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things is quite entertaining and fully embraces what it is and what it wants to be.

NO

Kyle Allen looks nothing like a teenager and, I mean, it’s kind of hard to keep reminding one’s self that he is supposed to look 17 years of age.
Knowing what it is and what it wants to be does make The Map of Tiny Perfect Things rather predictable, so how much you connect with the main characters and the concept will dictate how well you do or do not like the film.
Romantic comedies, teen-focused or otherwise, just turn some people off.

OUR REVIEW

Though the idea of a time loop movie is not unique to staying home in quarantine because of a global pandemic, the ubiquity of the concept takes on heightened resonance when we literally are all living the same day again and again.

While admittedly not the most reliable of sources, Wikipedia identifies nine different time loop movies having been released or scheduled for release since 2019. I can think of two additional titles I have watched through film festivals which are not on that list and now with The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, the time loop movie comes to Amazon Prime and, in turn, millions and millions of homes.

And perhaps most importantly, young adults.

Directed by Ian Samuels (Sierra Burgess is a Loser), this whimsical teen-focused rom-com wastes little time in world-building. 17-year-old Mark (Kyle Allen) is already in a time loop when the film begins. His mom leaves for work, his dad makes breakfast, interacts with his sister and rides to school. He knows everything that’s going to happen and has been stuck in this loop for who-knows-how-long. Mark has resigned himself to this fate, only to suddenly see someone he has never noticed before.

Enter Margaret (Kathryn Newton), who interrupts Mark’s attempts to pursue a possible girlfriend at a public pool. Never seeing her before, Mark is curious about Margaret and eventually the two become friends before learning that they are both stuck in a loop – and, in turn, will spend eternity living through each day until they find a way to break out of their situation.

The more they get to know one another, the stronger Mark and Margaret’s affection grows and, in turn, Allen and Newton’s performance come together in a rather heartwarming way. Paced in a way in which Samuels seems to be indicating that he knows you know the formula involved in telling stories like this, The Map of Tiny Perfect Things embraces what it is and has way more fun with a teenage time-loop love story than you might expect.

The screenplay never loses sight that, at least in theory, Mark and Margaret are kids caught up in something kinda cool, kinda frightening, but full of deeper context and emotional meaning. Though some elements involving Mark’s video game-obsessed buddy Henry (Jermaine Harris) never add anything meaningful to the story, the true understanding as to why these two are connected in a time-loop packs surprising emotional depth.

In other hands, these moments would come off as melodramatic and overwrought. As a testament to the film’s two lead actors, The Map of Tiny Perfect Things earns its dramatic moments appropriately with good writing, a clever twist of sorts, and nice restraint.

Not everything gets explained here, and that is limiting in some ways. However, the proverbial map laid out by Samuels is worth exploring. You may have seen movies like this before and probably can figure most of it out. However, this is a detail-driven, meticulously crafted film that stands apart from its peers with two strong lead performances, a bit of a mischievous grin, and a heart firmly entrenched on its sleeve.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Kathryn Newton, Kyle Allen, Jermaine Harris, Anna Mikami, Josh Hamilton, Al Madrigal, Jorja Fox, Cleo Fraser

Director: Ian Samuels
Written by: Lev Grossman
Based on the short story, “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things” by Lev Grossman
Release Date: February 12, 2021
Amazon Studios

You could do far worse than watching a well-made, young adult, romantic comedy like this one.

Kathryn Newton is quickly becoming one of the best young actors we have, and her chemistry with Kyle Allen here is fun to watch develop.

“Groundhog Day” tendencies notwithstanding, The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things is quite entertaining and fully embraces what it is and what it wants to be.

Kyle Allen looks nothing like a teenager and, I mean, it’s kind of hard to keep reminding one’s self that he is supposed to look 17 years of age.

Knowing what it is and what it wants to be does make The Map of Tiny Perfect Things rather predictable, so how much you connect with the main characters and the concept will dictate how well you do or do not like the film.

Romantic comedies, teen-focused or otherwise, just turn some people off.