Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
More On:
Kathryn Newton
Kathryn Newton is killing it (I mean, really, did you *see* Freaky?). The star of Big Little Lies and The Society is just about everywhere lately, and she continues her starring streak in The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, a teen time-loop romance now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. We’re here to tell you if the flick is another winner on Newton’s ever-growing list of top-tier projects.
THE MAP OF TINY PERFECT THINGS: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The Gist: It’s just another average day for Mark (Kyle Allen); his mom leaves for work, he bickers with his sister, pokes fun at his dad, and hits the road. His moves are too calculated, though; he yells unsolicited directions at a cute girl, tells a man where he put his keys, stops a guy from stepping right below falling bird poop, watches his best friend play video games. He’s lived this day before, and he doesn’t know why or how he got into this situation. After preparing to catch the same beach ball he’s caught by the pool every day, he finds it intercepted by a mysterious blonde named Margaret (Kathryn Newton), and after some digging, he discovers that she’s stuck in the same time loop.
Though Mark is excited to have a companion, Margaret is initially hesitant about it all, keeping things a little mysterious until Mark proposes an idea: to collect all the tiny, perfect little moments in their town, seizing the day in a way. Mark sees things in a more abstract, optimistic light, while Margaret loves math and dreams of being an astronaut, and often rolls her eyes at his whimsy. Despite this, Margaret agrees, and the duo takes note of moments like a janitor playing a beautiful piece of music on the piano when he’s alone, tough-looking bikers stopping traffic to watch a turtle cross the road, a van with angel wings logo stopping perfectly behind a man on a bench, giving him wings. Can all these tiny, perfect things remind them of what’s really important? Will they find a way out of this time-loop? You’ll have to follow The Map of Tiny Perfect Things to find out.
What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: The obvious comparisons here are Groundhog Day and Palm Springs, but The Map of Tiny Perfect Things does have a little bit of its own flavor. It also reminded me of About Time in many ways, in that it’s really about finding the beautiful little moments in life and appreciating them.
Performance Worth Watching: This is obviously Newton’s show, and she does magical things with it. If Freaky showed what kind of crazy physical performances she’s capable of, The Map of Tiny Perfect Things is a chance for her to truly put her emotional chops on display. At first glance, Margaret feels like she might veer into manic pixie dreamgirl territory, but luckily, there’s a lot more depth to her, and Newton plays it beautifully. (As a bonus, Josh Hamilton once again plays the perfect lovable dad).
Memorable Dialogue: All the profound observations about life made in The Map of Tiny Perfect Things are great, but I chuckled at Newton’s delivery of “You’re a nerd who sucks at math. Where does that leave you?”
Sex and Skin: None.
Our Take: When Palm Springs debuted on Hulu last year, it felt like a fresh new spin on the time-loop tale, one we hadn’t seen done that well since Groundhog Day. With that in mind, I entered The Map of Tiny Perfect Things incredibly skeptical, despite my fondness of Kathryn Newton as a performer. I was delighted to be proven wrong, pleasantly surprised by the film’s big heart and the strong performances from its leads. Newton, who has shown off comedic and dramatic chops in projects like Freaky, Blockers, and Big Little Lies, really gets a chance to do some deep emotional work here; it’s a performance that only gets deeper as the film goes on, one that slowly emerges as she drops her aloof facade. It’s so much more than initially meets the eye. Allen is a wonderful counterpart for her; he evokes a Boogie Nights-era Mark Wahlberg, with that open, naive face and gentle way about him. He may not have the juicier role here, but he is a totally compelling leading man.
A lot of the beats in The Map of Tiny Perfect Things may be predictable, but the film has such a strong sense of self that it doesn’t really matter. It’s a movie that wears its heart on its sleeve, much like the teenagers it depicts. The Map of Tiny Perfect Things deserves to be evaluated on its own, without lurking in Palm Springs’ shadow; it is distinctly YA in tone, free of the jadedness of the 30-something tale we saw last year. These kids contemplate what it might be like to never grow up, to never have to face the world, never experience all the big moments we’re conditioned to prepare ourselves for. Are there some weepy YA moments we’ve seen before? Sure. But they feel authentic to this story and non-exploitative, which is why they work.
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things is surprisingly poignant, sad film, one bittersweet in nature and unapologetically earnest. It’s pretty magical that a YA film was able to pack so much meaning into such a familiar premise. Once the film really got moving, I kept thinking of the end of About Time. That whole sequence towards the end when Domnhall Gleeson’s character finally realizes the best part of his power is being able to go back and really appreciate all the tiny things that make each day so perfect; running through the halls of your workplace, exchanging small talk with a cashier, remembering to look up. And then letting it all go. Those moments – and the ephemeral nature of the time we’re given – are what this movie is.
Our Call: STREAM IT. The Map of Tiny Perfect Things may occasionally be predictable, but thanks to its big, open heart and the performances (and chemistry) of its two young stars, the film is more than worth your time.
Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.
