The Map That Leads to You Review: Madelyn Cline and KJ Apa’s Lived-In Chemistry Leads Lasse Hallström’s Formulaic Romantic Drama

The Map That Leads to You marks Lasse Hallström’s return to the familiar territory. The romance genre, to be exact. This includes movies like Something to Talk About, Dear John, Safe Haven and of course, Chocolat. Based on J.P. Monninger’s bestselling novel of the same name, the movie immediately draws me into the three young women’s eagerly anticipated train journey to Barcelona. Heather (Madelyn Cline), who has all the travel itinerary documented on her phone, is enjoying her post-college European vacation with her besties Connie (Sofia Wylie) and Amy (Madison Thompson).

She wants to make the best out of her free time with them and make memories before she flies back to New York City with a finance job already waiting for her. The first thing I notice is the lived-in chemistry between Cline, Wylie and Thompson right from the get-go. The way they interact, laughing and teasing like best friends do.

So, while they are aboard the train, a lone backpacker from New Zealand named Jack (KJ Apa, embracing his natural New Zealand accent) shows up, and his introduction leads to an attention-grabbing quirky moment: Instead of sitting at a designated seat, he chooses the unconventional way of climbing atop the luggage rack and lying there flat on the surface. It’s obvious that rules don’t apply to him, and it isn’t long before he breaks the ice with Heather, who is at the time reading a book by Ernest Hemingway. And coincidentally, they share the same love for the literary legend and, more so, the same book.

Credits go to Hallström for nailing the delightful meet-cute moment between Heather and Jack as their on-screen pairing instantly clicks from the time they start flirting with each other. While Heather is still sticking to her travel plan with her besties, Jack is on his personal quest to visit places that his grandfather, who was a WWII vet, wrote in his leather-bound illustrated journal. They go their separate ways, only to be reunited again at a warehouse club.

From there, they become closer as their relationship is blooming. She falls for Jack so deeply that she’s willing to skip her scheduled flight back home to spend extra time with him. With her besties eventually leaving, this leaves the two lovebirds, Heather and Jack, sightseeing across numerous beautiful locations from Barcelona to Portugal and Italy, enjoying every quality moment together.

Given that Hallström used to come from his extensive music video background, he sure knows how to frame his movie with Elías M. Félix’s picturesque cinematography that almost makes me feel like I’m watching a feature-length travelogue. Cline and Apa are no doubt easy on the eyes, and they are likeable. They may share different personalities — Cline’s Heather is more of a young woman who likes to plan ahead, while Apa’s Jack prefers to live in the moment. The kind of spontaneous life that relies on improvisation.

But as much as I enjoy watching the two embark on a romance-filled journey, the movie lacks the much-needed conflict and dramatic weight to delve into the story and their relationship beyond the surface. It’s not like there’s a zero conflict going on here, with the second half revealing a turning point revolving around one of them, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out where the story leads to. This is especially true if you are familiar enough with this type of romantic drama.

Hallström clearly isn’t interested in breaking new ground in The Map That Leads to You, preferring to stick to the formula as closely as possible. Frankly, if it weren’t for Cline and Apa’s lovely chemistry and a better-than-expected supporting cast, along with the overall scenic locations, this movie would have been a total bust.

The Map That Leads to You is currently streaming on Prime Video.