A Tourist’s Guide to Love follows an ambitious, straight-laced woman who has recently exited a dead-end relationship, and takes a vacation that will have her discovering what it truly means to be adventurous and to be in love. A Tourist’s Guide To Love is precisely what one might expect, and there is nothing wrong with that. Audiences can collectively hem and haw about the lack of creativity or ingenuity in these cookie-cutter romances that Netflix keeps producing, but the results tend to be the same. If one is familiar with the recent Victoria Justice-led The Perfect Match, one will sense some familiarity within the story. If one has seen Love, Guaranteed, then Rachel Leigh Cook’s performance will feel consistent. However, Netflix has one thing over Hallmark: The streamer’s exuberant budgets and jet-setting productions. A Tourist’s Guide to Love is not remarkable, but its simplicity and familiarity are comfortable and, most importantly, entertaining.
Rachel Leigh Cook returns to the Netflix romance world with A Tourist’s Guide to Love. Here, she plays Amanda Reilly, an ambitious travel executive who decides to go undercover to scope out a potential new tourist company to buy after an awkward falling out with her longtime boyfriend. The unforeseen trip sends her to Vietnam just in time for the Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebration Tét. There she meets Sinh (Scott Ly), the tour guide who will change everything for Amanda. He is a free spirit who cares deeply for his country, family, and business. For a few blissful days, Amanda and Sinh will discover unconventional ways to be a tourist and experience life together.
Steven Tsuchida helms this project after his last Netflix outing, Resort to Love. Tsuchida and cinematographer Jon Keng relish in the on-location shoot, bringing the audience to Vietnam and not some proxy for the vibrant nation. As Sinh espouses wisdom about how to experience touring another country, the audience is gifted with visuals that support his claims that Vietnam is so much more than what is often depicted in Hollywood. Screenwriter Eirene Donohue lays the foundation for a joyful, celebratory adventure through Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hội An, Hanoi and Hà Giang are beautifully captured on camera, with sweeping landscape shots and intimate on-the-ground shooting. Amanda is in good company, and the audience will be utterly enraptured by what Vietnam brings to the screen. Being in the country and experiencing the traditions and customs of the Vietnamese people is the crucial detail here, making A Tourist’s Guide to Love a must-watch for that reason alone.
While the script is a bit ham-fisted when portraying the core relationship, A Tourist’s Guide to Love ultimately succeeds at what it sets out to do — make the audience fall in love with Scott Ly. Similar to Netflix’s first gay romance, Single All the Way, where viewers were introduced to Philemon Chambers, this film is a star-making vehicle for Ly. The actor is dazzling and charismatic. Sinh is an exuberant character who cares deeply for his nation, its people, and everything in between. Ly plays him sincerely, evolving the character beyond a one-dimensional love interest. Ly’s chemistry with Cook is palpable, and the two portray Sinh and Amanda’s whirlwind romance very well. The build to their inevitable first kiss is utterly swoon-worthy, primarily due to Ly’s ability to convey Sinh’s deep admiration and attraction to Amanda. Ly’s delivery of “Kiss me” is just the cherry on top of an impressive performance.
A Tourist’s Guide to Love is predictable and sometimes too involved with presenting Vietnam as a desirable travel location. However, Amanda and Sinh’s connection and bond are shown clearly and early enough that the romance blooms quickly between them and feels right and justified. The actors have great chemistry and possess a certain quality that makes them likable. While the ensemble cast adds a layer of texture to the experience, they are underused; but they are a delight, offering more sweetness to an already delectable dessert.
A Tourist’s Guide to Love is an experience worth having. One can’t help but feel swept away. About her trip to Vietnam, Amanda experiences her happiness with the tour guided by Sinh, saying, “I felt like I was truly in the middle of it all, you know?” That question is directed at someone who wouldn’t understand, but the audience shares the same sentiment.
A Tourist’s Guide to Love is now available to stream on Netflix. The film is 94 minutes long and rated TV-PG.
