“The Map of Tiny Perfect Things” is an almost perfect Valentine to teen romance, set to open Feb. 12 just in time for V-Day. The film stars two perfectly photogenic and interesting 17-year-olds, Margaret (Kathryn Newton) and Mark (Kyle Allen). They are both caught in some type of time loop where the same day repeats over and over.
After watching Mark go through several identical 24-hours, he spots something new—a curly haired blonde wearing overalls and boots in spite of the hot summer day. This is a nice break from his usually routine pool scene. He follows the mysterious girl as she makes a quick retreat in a car. Curious to know more about this newcomer to his monotonous routine, his days now have a purpose as he searches for the new girl.
When Mark finally catches up with Margaret, she proves to be as quick witted as he is. But while he’s a talented artist, Margaret is probably even more brilliant, a math whiz who dreams of becoming an astronaut. The two precocious teens, who are apparently the only ones who realize they’re stuck in a temporal anomaly, decide to make the best of their situation. They’ll make a map of “tiny perfect things” or heart-warming moments they find during the day.
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things
The romantic fantasy film is directed by Ian Samuels and written by Lev Grossman. It also features Jermaine Harris as Mark’s BFF Henry, who’s stuck in the middle of a video game he can’t seem to win. Josh Hamilton is Mark’s dad, and Cleo Fraser his sister Emma. Anna Mikami is Phoebe, a girl at the pool, and Al Madrigal is Mr. Pepper, Mark’s math teacher.
Although we’ve seen similar plots in a number of other films (Groundhog Day, for starters), this film provides enough magical moments to make us forget we’ve seen this before. The sparks that fly between the two leads, and their entertaining banter, is also very refreshing. I predict we’ll be seeing more of these two actors in the future.
The film, produced by Weed Road Pictures and Film National Entertainment, starts streaming on Amazon Prime Video Feb. 12. “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things” is one hour and 39 delightful minutes long.
