Sometimes a film doesn’t bother hiding its intention, but it is not always a bad thing. Lasse Hallstrom’s The Map That Leads to You may be predictable to a fault, but much like a short sojourn in a foreign land, it is a journey worth savouring. Refreshing in its directness, the film skips meandering and gets straight to the point with its romantic theme.

The story follows Heather (Madelyn Cline) and Jack (KJ Apa), two strangers who meet on a trip to Europe and develop an instant connection. The meet-cute happens on a moving train in Europe. Jack, who sleeps in the luggage storage area, has the same Ernest Hemingway book as the one Heather reads in the seat below him. When they introduce themselves to each other and reach out to shake hands, their fingers barely touch—a clever detail that foreshadows what lies ahead, hinting that the two may be meant for each other but still have to rely on what fate has in store for them.

Much like many travel stories, the film takes us to exotic European locations and uses convenient storytelling detours to finally reach its conclusion. Jack keeps his late grandfather’s journal, which he uses to retrace the old man’s experiences traversing Europe during World War II. The journal subtly functions as a plot device to keep the two protagonists together for some time, as Heather, smitten by Jack, accompanies him as they hop from one destination to another.