A Tourist’s Guide To Love (2023) Netflix Movie Ending, Explained: A Tourist’s Guide To Love (2023), Netflix’s first original film shot in Vietnam, employs a fairly standard premise of going to a foreign destination to find love and happiness. This could easily have been another Hallmark-styled romcom, but a bigger budget, charming leads, and a picturesque dive into Vietnamese culture aid in leveling A Tourist’s Guide To Love above its televised counterparts. Starring rom-com veteran star Rachael Leigh Cook and newcomer Scott Ly, the film revolves around a woman who takes a business project to Vietnam to get over her recent heartbreak.
In this article, we go over the film’s premise and answer some of the questions in the narrative. A spoiler alert for the entire movie!
A Tourist’s Guide To Love (2023) Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis:
Amanda Riley (Rachael Leigh Cook) works for Tourista World Travel, a traveling company based in Los Angeles. Living a seemingly perfect life, Amanda maintains friendly relations with her loquacious boss, Mona (a hilarious Missi Pyle), and is in a committed five-year relationship with her boyfriend, John (Ben Feldman), an accountant. One day, Mona informs Amanda that John wishes to have her back early from work. Believing that John is about to propose, Amanda gets her nails done in a salon and heads home. But to her utter shock, John announces that he is heading to Ohio to help a large firm his friend owns and suggests that he and Amanda take a hiatus from their relationship. Amanda is heartbroken and angrily throws John out of the house.
The next day, an impulsive Amanda decides to take a business trip to Vietnam to clear her mind off the recent fiasco. Amanda’s company seeks to buy a local touring business called Saigon Silver Star which operates in Vietnam and has high ratings. Mona suggests that Amanda stealthily disguise herself as a tourist with the Saigon Silver Star and check if the business is actually worth purchasing. Amanda agrees and heads over to Vietnam, where she is greeted by Sinh (Scott Ly) and his cousin, Anh (Thanh Truc). Anh’s father (Sinh’s uncle) owns the touring business headed by Anh and Sinh, both functioning as touring guides to reveal the stunning locations to their guests.
As Amanda experiences the tour, she begins to realize new things about herself and finds a growing connection with the handsome Sinh. But soon, she is caught between her love for Sinh and her ulterior motive of purchasing the local business. And when John suddenly makes a surprise appearance in Vietnam, Amanda is further torn between her old love and her sparkling connection with Sinh.
How Does Sinh Win Over Amanda?
Initially, Amanda feels a bit frustrated when she meets Sinh at the airport, who pretends not to know English just to test her Vietnamese. She further ends up losing her suitcase at the airport, further exacerbating her mood. But when Sinh manages to get her suitcase back that night thanks to his various connections, Amanda is relieved.
Later, Amanda is impressed by Sinh’s knowledge and expertise about Vietnam and his skills as a guide. Thanks to his connections, Sinh is able to give a tour of an ancient temple to Amanda and the group despite the temple being closed for new year preparations. When Amanda is separated from the group, she hesitates to cross the boisterous Vietnamese roads. Sinh gently helps her cross the street by teaching her how always to walk forward while charting these busy roads.
When the rest of the group members head back to the hotel, Sinh also gives Amanda a private tour of beautifully lit Vietnamese streets at night. The two also make a wish in the nearby river using a floating candle and bond with each other. Sinh mentions how he spent a part of his childhood in the United States, and his mother wanted him to get a desk job after college, but he chose to return to Vietnam to work at his father’s restaurant.
The next day at the beach, Amanda is also bewitched by Sinh’s ripped body as he gets out of the water. Sinh also ends up taking the group to a beautiful but often-ignored site of Hindu temple ruins—seeing which Amanda is left speechless. She also learns to ditch her planned guidebook as a tourist and open herself to new and unexpected possibilities.
Again continuing his streak of surprises, Sinh takes the tour group to his village, where Amanda meets Sinh’s grandmother (Nsut Le Thien). The entire group gets to experience a taste of rural Vietnam as they help with cleaning, cooking, and decorating the ancestral house for the upcoming new year.
While she is alone with Anh and her grandmother, Amanda is confronted by her grandmother on whether she really likes Sinh, but Amanda is hesitant to answer this. The next day in the new year, Sinh and Amanda end up kissing each other—finally acknowledging their feelings for one another.
How Does Amanda Manage To Hide Her Ulterior Motives of Visiting Vietnam, and How Is Her Cover Blown?
Early on, before the start of the tour, Amanda decides to keep her reason for visiting Vietnam a secret. When she meets other group members and is asked about her profession, Amanda coyly suggests they should not talk about work during holidays—thereby hiding her ulterior motive of visiting as a travel executive.
At the village, Sinh reveals to Amanda that he intends to take over his uncle’s traveling business as the latter is soon retiring. Amanda is left discomforted by this revelation, as she is here to buy the very same business. She even tries to tell Sinh the real reason for her visit, but Sinh interrupts her with a kiss. After Sinh’s revelation, Amanda begins to have second thoughts about owning Saigon Silver Star, as it would not mean anything without Sinh’s charisma and expertise. But when Mona mentions that another company seeks to buy the business, Amanda gives her the green signal to buy Saigon Silver Star for her company.
Back at the hotel, Amanda is shocked to find John, who states he is here to win Amanda back. Amanda is left conflicted by John’s genuine love confession and how he wishes to spend the rest of his life with Amanda. That night, as the group has street food, Anh receives a call informing her that her father has sold the business to a company called Tourista World Travel. John reveals to the group that it is the same company Amanda works for—letting the cat out of the bag.
Sinh is horrified to learn this news and feels betrayed by Amanda’s duplicity and nefarious intentions. Amanda tries to explain her motives, but Sinh leaves heartbroken.
A Tourist’s Guide To Love (2023) Movie Ending, Explained:
Who Does Amanda End Up Choosing In The End?
During her last day in Vietnam, a distraught Amanda takes a walk with John in a park. John mentions that he only intends to stay in Ohio for a year, and then he and Amanda can both get back to their previous relationship. He reveals that he did not realize Amanda’s importance until now and is willing to sacrifice for her. Amanda is touched by John’s proclamations, but she states that love shouldn’t be about compromises and sacrifice. She further mentions that she discovered a lot about herself during the trip, and it was best that she got out of her comfort zone in L.A. Amanda thanks John for visiting her all the way to Vietnam and wishes they end their five-year-long relationship on a high note—they both part ways on good terms.
Meanwhile, Sinh tells Anh that without the touring business, he feels so lost as all his future plans and prospects are now gone. He decides to take some time off by visiting his father.
Amanda feels guilty about her actions and calls Mona to inform the same. She states how Saigon Silver Star cannot function without Sinh, as he is the heart and soul of the entire enterprise. Mona agrees, and Amanda rushes to tell the news to Sinh. Anh states that Sinh has already left to catch a bus to visit his father. Amanda apologizes to Anh and reveals that she is ready to make amends. Anh agrees to drive Amanda to the opera house from where Sinh’s bus is scheduled. Amanda sees Sinh on the other side but is too afraid to cross the vehicle-laden road. She takes a leap of faith and uses Sinh’s advice—this time managing to get over her fears.
Sinh is surprised to see Amanda. Amanda reveals that her company will only function as a business partner, and Sinh and Anh will continue to function as owners of Saigon Silver Star. Amanda also professes her love for Sinh—and the two share a kiss amidst the bustling streets of Vietnam. The film closes on a positive note for both our protagonists—both finding love and fulfilling their career prospects, thanks to the turn of events.
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