The Map of Tiny Perfect Things

by Lev Grossman, directed by Ian Samuels

Release: 12 February 2021
Format: Feature Film
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Comedy
Audience: YA and Up
Content: Definite Time Travel
Original Language: English

Mark is living an endlessly time-looping day of skipping summer school to, um, let’s call it “requisition” a front loader, do little acts of kindness around town, and annoy his younger sister when he’s unexpectedly interrupted by Margaret who’s careening her way through the same day while nobody else around them realizes what’s going on.

<spoiler!>One reviewer suggested that the story would have been better told from Margaret’s point of view. Certainly she has an interesting story of her own—one of loss so intense that it stops her world and kidnaps Mark. And yet, for me, Mark’s story is both compelling and well told, and I’m glad the author told his story. He is sensitive and lost and looking for his way in an upended world. He’s not particularly aware of how others feel, but maybe he’s getting there, and somehow Margaret grounds him and provides room to grow to the point where he can offer unconditional friendship to her (and to others) exactly when it’s needed. Is that a corny, uplifting story about tiny, perfect hypercubes that were meant to be? Yes, enjoyably so. I also enjoyed the nods to other popular-culture time travel escapades, though not so much the handwaving attempt at grounding things in science with Mark’s algebra teacher.</spoiler!> Sorry. Sometimes I feel a compulsion to drop into critic mode myself.

— Michael Main

Hi, uh, I’m Mark. I just had a quick question.. . . I was wondering—this is gonna sound really strange, God, really bizaare, but—are you experiencing any kind of temporal anomaly. . . in your life?

DEBUT

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (Netflix, USA, 12 February 2021).

VARIANTS

1 English variant

TRANSLATIONS

29 translations

PRIOR WORKS: adaptation of “[(work-199 | The Map of Tiny Perfect Things)]” by Lev Grossman (2021)

TAGS(SPOILERS!)

Time Periods

Circa AD 2000 to 2099: Presumed.

Timeline Models

Time Loop

Time Travel Methods

Wish Travel: Not fully explained, but Margaret says, “I just wanted time to stop.”

Themes

Time Zone Shenanigans: Unlike in the original novelette, the jump back occurs based on what time zone they’re in, so when Mark is on a flight to Tokyo and the plane crosses the International Dateline into tomorrow, he is instantly transported back to his bed that morning. In the original, he didn’t loop back until it hit midnight back in his hometown.

TIME TRAVEL ITINERARY (SPOILERS!)

From various locations around Mark and Margaret’s home town, and once as Mark crosses the International Dateline, at the stroke of midnight (or as Mark crosses the line) ⋙ to Mark and Margaret’s separate beds, when they woke up, about sixteen hours earlier. Multiple trips. Note: only Mark and Margaret are aware of the time loop.