Every day he wakes up as his mom drives off to work. Downstairs, his father (Josh Hamilton) works on a crossword puzzle while his sister, Emma (Cleo Fraser), waits to call him "loser."
Mark already knows everything that will happen this day.
He will ride his bike to school, and he will meet this cute girl (Anna Mikami). He will try to win her over, but she is not interested at all. So he will visit his friend Henry (Jermaine Harris), who keeps on losing in a video game. At night, he and his dad will talk about the future. And at midnight, before the first drop of rain falls, the day will restart.
Doing the same thing can get tiring, so Mark spends his time honing his skills instead. He draws better now, and he can even play an instrument. Sometimes he goes around the town to help people.
Until one day, a girl named Margaret (Kathryn Newton) disrupts a loop that Mark is very familiar with. He discovers that she's also stuck in the same day over and over again.
Both of them are clueless about how to escape this "Groundhog Day". Thus, they decided to take each other to places where something cool happens, like an Eagle capturing a fish or a skater doing amazing tricks.
They soon realize that by finding each perfect moment in their city, they might be able to free themselves from this loop. So together, they embark on an adventure to find these tiny perfect things.
There is already a plethora of time-loop movies out there. "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray is one of them. Then there's Christopher Landon's "Happy Death Day" and Doug Liman's “Edge of Tomorrow". Last year, there's Max Barbakow's “Palm Springs” starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti.
“The Map of Tiny Perfect Things” keeps the time-loop concept alive this 2021.
Movies with temporal loops are always entertaining to watch. Maybe, it's because people are inherently fascinated with time and space. Or maybe because people are just looking forward to having that perfect day.
“The Map of Tiny Perfect Things” works as both an exploration of time-loop logic and opportunities. It's about two individuals curious about the science of time and space. And at the same time, it's about them re-living and rebuilding the perfect day for everyone to enjoy.
Even more so, the film is surprisingly deep. It talks about love, grief, and acceptance. There are plenty of big moments brimming with heart and attention. And also small, tender scenes that will surely pull on viewers' heartstrings.
It's a sweet film that allows the audience to appreciate the world's beautiful nuances. Such as winning a simple card game or playing the piano. Moreover, it encourages people to find and cherish life's tiny perfect things.
“The Map of Tiny Perfect Things” is not a perfect film, though. It's actually far from it. It's tropey, predictable, and, sometimes, messy. There's nothing new about it that people don't know about.
But despite all these, Ian Samuels flick still thrives as a tender teenage rom-com. All thanks to Kyle Allen and Kathryn Newton's charming performance and Lev Grossman's heartfelt screenplay.
3.5/5
