A Map to the Heart: “A Map that Leads to You” has cinematic montages and a heart wrenching storyline that give a different perspective to life

Love at first sight. Messy love-triangles. Toxic first love. Enemies to lovers.

I’ve seen my fair share of rom-coms, all entertaining, but ultimately unoriginal. On the other hand, “A Map that Leads to You” is a gut-wrenching love story that far surpasses the other romance movies we have — it’s not some cringy rom-com like “The Notebook”, but a deep, raw film.

This movie, based on the 2017 novel by J.P. Monninger, was released on Aug. 20. It follows the story of Heather, a recent college graduate, who journeys to Europe with her two best friends, finds unexpected love and ultimately has to decide what — and who — she really wants in life.  

When the movie opens, there’s almost no context given for what is happening. With just a colorful display of flower arrangements and a bustle of movement at a beautiful wedding venue in Barcelona, Spain, I was left guessing what would happen next.

Heather Mulgrew, played by Madeline Cline, sits on a bed overlooking the chaos and appears to be contemplating a decision. We don’t get context for this scene until the end of the movie.

The scene backtracks eight months, with a collection of lively scenes of Heather and her two best friends, Connie and Amy, travelling through Europe.

For the first few minutes, I could only picture Cline in her previous role of Sarah Cameron from the TV show Outer Banks, but Heather’s timeliness and desperate need for plans were unlike Sarah. Both complex characters are enjoyable to watch on my screen, but this type-A, organized character was something I haven’t seen before.

Heather was born and raised in Texas, mostly by her single father. She went to Boston for college and is traveling for one last escape before starting her banking job in New York City. 

Heather’s love interest Jack, played by KJ Apa, is first introduced climbing onto the luggage rack above Heather and her friends on the overnight train to Barcelona.

His character completely contrasts with Heather’s proactive nature. His reluctance to talk about the future, his personal philosophy of living in the moment and his travels to every place in his great-grandfather's journal he kept after WW2.

Embedded in the movie’s story are montages of photos taken by the characters themselves, making me feel as if I were with them, also journeying around Europe. Some conversations were told through characters texting and calling over the phone; this was a unique spin that actually worked.

I’m not usually a fan of phones and text messages being used in shows and movies because I want to be sucked into the movie — if I wanted to look at a phone I would take mine out of my pocket. But this movie captured the essence of friend groups in their 20s talking in a group chat and FaceTiming while they were in different countries. 

This movie felt more raw than the trashy, love-triangle plots that more and more romance movies are starting to have lately — cough, cough Anyone But You.

Jack’s unique wisdom of life made me reconsider how much time I spend worrying about my future. His philosophy was how people should live in the moment for themselves, not for what other people think of them, and how you never know when something will happen to you, so you must live to fulfill your life now.

Jack and Heather’s love story didn’t feel forced, and both characters learned from each other. They weren’t some destined soulmates, but were a real couple with on-screen chemistry. 

Their interests didn’t clash, but instead helped them grow with each other. And as Jack says, “Opposites attract.”

My heart dropped more than once as more information about the characters’ background was revealed, the dramatic irony exhibited throughout the movie made me more engaged.

Through parts of the movie, I could feel Heather's adrenaline rushing through me. I felt like part of the movie, and Heather’s stress was my stress.

And I would be lying if I said there weren't tears flowing down my face during the last 30 minutes of the movie.  

The open ending of the movie has received much criticism since there is no definite answer to what happened to them. But I enjoyed not knowing what would happen next.

The ending gave a full circle to the movie’s idea of not worrying about the future but instead living in the present. And at this moment, the watcher is open to interpret whatever they desire.

A Map That Leads to You" is an artful masterpiece, with relatable characters and an engrossing plot. If you have 90 minutes of free time, it's a must-watch. But, be warned — you will cry.