Lasse Hallström's Latest Is a Bleak Parade of Romantic Cliches, Somehow Reigning at #2 on Prime Video

Lasse Hallström, the director of one of the most heartbreaking flicks in history of cinema, Hachi: A Dog's Tale, was never able to surpass his greatest work and moved from big cinema to Amazon Prime Video.

His new project, an adaptation of the young adult novel The Map That Leads to You, only confirms his creative crisis. Having failed to find his place in the world of big-budget films, Hallström made a low-budget romantic story that offers viewers nothing.

What Is 'The Map That Leads to You' About?

Heather, a graduate of a prestigious New York university, is going to Europe with her friends/ Heather is building up her strength before an internship at a bank, Connie just wants to relax, and Amy is trying to heal a broken heart.

While on vacation, Amy runs into a scoundrel once again, and Connie and Heather find themselves on the verge of true love. In Barcelona, Heather's heart is stolen by Jack, a New Zealand tourist who seems to be her complete opposite.

Jack doesn't plan for the future – his only goal is to visit the places described in his great-great-grandfather's diary.

'The Map That Leads to You' Is an Extremely Clichéd Romantic Flick

The Map That Leads to You contains all the genre clichés: love in picturesque Spain is reminiscent of Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and extensive dialogue reminds us of the Before trilogy by Richard Linklater.

The characters resemble those from The Notebook and Eat, Pray, Love. However, behind these templates is an emptiness that cannot be saved by beautiful views of Barcelona alone.

The only character that truly comes alive is the city itself, which pushes the characters to take reckless actions. Their relationships progress from strangers to lovers with little conflict or drama.

'The Map That Leads to You' Is Unable to Touch the Hearts of Viewers

By the end, the director suddenly remembers that he's making a mainstream movie for young adults and resorts to clichés in the style of Nicholas Sparks. However, this does not save The Map That Leads to You.

The story never reveals the characters' inner worlds, leaving viewers to imagine their mental trauma.

Perhaps the problem lies in the weak source material, or maybe Hallström has simply lost his ability to pierce the human soul.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Map That Leads to You'?

• The Map That Leads to You has 36% from critics and 57% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.2/10.

• On Letterboxd, The Map That Leads to You is scored 2.7/5.