“The Map of Tiny Perfect Things” hits home
With inspiration from the trope created in the 1993 film “Groundhog Day,” the newly released Amazon Prime movie “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things” takes the concept of an individual experiencing the same day over and over again with the rest of the world unaware and provides an interesting twist by placing two teenage protagonists together in a time loop.
The movie follows Mark, a young boy who has been in the time loop for quite some time, up until he meets Margaret, a young girl with the same predicament. To make the best of their situation, the pair decides to find and document all of the specific, important moments of the day, deemed “tiny perfect things,” and put each moment into a map.
While following Mark and Margaret on their journey, viewers will most definitely fall in love with the characters as they fall for each other. While Margaret gives off a cool and collected front, Mark brings out her sensitive side with his dorky and sweet personality.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the movie is how it takes conflicts familiar to adolescents today and provides an interesting twist with the “Groundhog Day” premise. There is tension between the protagonists, for Mark is determined to find a way out of the time loop while Margaret has trouble with the idea of letting go of infinite time. In a heartfelt conversation, Mark tells her that “[The time loop] is not time. Time is the stuff that when you spend it, you don’t get it back.”
While the movie started out as endearing and lighthearted, it attempted to dive into deeper content in the end… perhaps a little too deep. Mark and Margaret were significantly less entertaining when the film shifted tones, losing some of the relatable and humorous charm as it approached the climax. Despite this, the movie wrapped up the story in a satisfying way that leaves viewers content.
With likable characters and an engaging plot, “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things” makes an enjoyable casual watch for lovers of the classic coming-of-age trope with a slight sci-fi twist.
