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The Map That Leads To You is the perfect end-of-summer romance movie for anyone who's dreaming of escaping to the European coast. But as dreamy as the film is, fans are losing it over how the movie wraps up for the characters — and the stars just weighed in on the controversial ending.
Here's what happened at the end of The Map That Leads To You, streaming on Prime Video now.
What happens in the end of The Map That Leads to You?
The movie follows the ever-cautious Heather (Madelyn Cline) on a whirlwind European trip with her best friends Amy and Connie. But when she crosses paths with the spontaneous Jack (KJ Apa), on a mission to follow his grandfather's journal from WWII, Heather's life is changed forever.
As the summer ends, Heather is faced with whether she actually wants to move to New York and start her life as an adult in the city. And when Jack agrees to go to Manhattan with her, it seems like every piece is falling into place — until he leaves her at the airport with nothing but an "I'm sorry" text. Woof.
But there's a lot more going on than just ghosting because Jack is actually keep a huge secret from Heather: his cancer is back.
What happens to Jack in The Map That Leads to You movie?
Lucia Faraig/Prime
Heather's life moves on after Jack leaves her alone at the airport; we all find out that Connie and Jack's friend Raef are going to tie the knot. The girls return to Barcelona (where the whole adventure began), and while Raef reveals he never got an RSVP from Jack, he did get a letter for Heather.
Jack tells her in the letter that he has terminal cancer and he was trying to spare her whatever inevitable heartbreak was coming down the line. He also says that he was seeking comfort in his grandfather's journal, using it as a means to escape the cancer (sounds like a different version of Heather finding comfort in plans, TBH).
But Heather's not going down without a fight, and she finds Jack in the middle of a festival in Santa Pau, kissing him and saying, “I’m here now, and I love you, and I want to dance.”
Okay, honestly as a Type-A eldest daughter who's terrified of spontaneity, this whole message of living in the present and embracing every moment as it comes makes me kind of emotional! And I'm not the only one.
"The first time I read it, I sobbed," Madelyn Cline told Entertainment Weekly. "I loved how much it moved me, and not because I felt like the script was trying to make anyone cry. It's just a story that I felt was very touching, and I couldn't imagine how many people have gone through life and have a love story like this, or you fall in love with someone, and then you feel like life is stopping you, and there's nothing you can do about it. How deeply that hurts, mourning something that could be."
Prime Video
"Watched The Map That Leads To You in hopes to make myself feel better after TSITP [ended with Conrad crying] but now i feel worse," one fan tweeted. "I did not just finish the map that leads to you, the map that leads to you just finished me," another said.
But despite how painful the story is, Madelyn Cline says she loved the way it ended. "I love ambiguity in an ending," she told EW. "I know it irks some people, but I prefer an ambiguous ending. I imagine the ending being a little bit more ambiguous."
"I believe that Jack died, and I was sad about it," KJ added. "I didn't expect him to continue living after. But maybe he lives. You never know."
Where can I watch The Map That Leads to You?
Prime Video
The Map That Leads to You is available to stream on Prime Video right now.
Who's in the Map That Leads To You cast?
Prime Video
The Map That Leads To You cast includes:
- Madelyn Cline as Heather
- KJ Apa as Jack
- Sofia Wylie as Connie
- Madison Thompson as Amy
- Orlando Norman as Raef
Read up on The Map That Leads To You Cast Revealed The Dreamy Way They Bonded During Filming (Exclusive).
