| CollegeHighway.com Login |
| Don't have an account yet? You can create one. As registered user you have some advantages like theme manager, comments configuration and post comments with your name. |
| Trippin? |
 |
| Check Yourself |
 |
| Ephemerids |
One Day like Today...
|
| Welcome |
| You are Anonymous user. You can register for free by clicking here. |
 |
|
| Home / College Guide / People We Meet on Vacation Review: Netflixs Irresistible Emily Henry Adaptation |
| Posted on Friday, January 09 @ 00:01:14 PST |
The beginning of 2026 kicks off an exciting year for Emily Henry fans. The New York Times bestselling author has been writing since 2016, but her first adult romance novel, Beach Read, became a hit with readers when it was published in 2020; in the wake of that success, five of her books have since been optioned for the screen. Yet the first adaptation thats made it through development and production for Netflix is actually the second of Henrys adult romances, People We Meet on Vacation.
As someone whos figuratively inhaled the majority of Henrys books over the last several years (Im keeping Great Big Beautiful Life on my TBR until the time comes for me to finally crack it open), I was undeniably curious about whether People We Meet on Vacation, which jumps around between multiple timelines in nonlinear fashion, could be successfully translated to the screen — but I shouldnt have worried. The film, directed by Brett Haley (Hearts Beat Loud) and penned by author and screenwriter Yulin Kuang alongside Amos Vernon & Nunzio Randazzo, is an effervescent, charming adaptation of Henrys globetrotting romance novel, with a pair of winning performances at its heart from stars Tom Blyth and Emily Bader.
What Is People We Meet on Vacation About?
Poppy Wright (Bader) is living her ultimate dream of getting to travel for a living; as a writer for R&R magazine, shes never been in one city for too long, getting to have new experiences and meet all kinds of people. Yet, for some reason, the last couple of years have left her disillusioned about her chosen career path, unable to summon the same level of excitement she once held for her vocation. Were not immediately privy to whats put Poppy in such a melancholy state, but when she receives an invitation to a destination wedding in Barcelona, she realizes shes going to have to suck it up and occupy the same space as her estranged best friend, Alex Nilsen (Blyth), whom she hasnt spoken to in the last two years — right around the same time that vacations stopped being fun.
It turns out that Poppy and Alex, who have known each other since college, used to block out one week every year to go on vacation together, a tradition they maintained until one fateful night two years ago changed everything between them. As the story unfolds, jumping back and forth between some of their most defining trips and Alexs brother Davids (Boots Miles Heizer) Barcelona wedding in the present day, the full scope of Poppy and Alexs dynamic and the increasingly complicated feelings they have for each other begin to take shape.
(The tension still simmering between them is only exacerbated by the fact that the apartment theyre renting in Barcelona doesnt have working A/C.) On paper, ruining the friendship in favor of romance doesnt make any sense; Poppy is a freewheeling rebel who would rather go with the flow than follow a predetermined schedule, while the soft-spoken Alex constantly wrestles with embracing more spontaneity on each trip they take. Yet it also seems like the only time they can truly be themselves is when theyre halfway around the world — together.
People We Meet on Vacation Wouldnt Work Without Tom Blyth and Emily Bader
Part of People We Meet on Vacations irresistible appeal lies in Poppy and Alexs opposites-attract relationship, and in that regard, Emily Bader and Tom Blyth feel like the perfect casting choices for these characters. Poppys wild-child sensibilities could easily come off as more annoying, but Bader skillfully toes the line between charming and grating, resulting in Poppy winning you over with every newly revealed facet of her personality. As for Blyth, his history of playing characters who tend to play things close to the vest serves him well here, too, since Alex is someone who keeps a lot of himself bottled up, only allowing brief glimpses into his deeper emotions until theyre incited to spill out.
Blyth and Bader also have the hefty task of conveying their characters evolving relationship over the span of several years, and they rise to meet that challenge with impressive ease. Poppy and Alexs first road trip home from college together is a defining moment for them early on, especially with Poppys impulsive decision-making directly challenging Alexs desire to stick to a consistent plan, but key breadcrumbs of vulnerability sprinkled between them allow for their friendship to develop at an incendiary burn. Once the two are forced to share one lousy motel room — and yes, there is an only-one-bed dilemma that arises — its impossible to envision Poppy and Alex going their separate ways after that.
Netflix’s Adaptation of Emily Henry’s BookTok Favorite Finally Sets Release Date
The film stars Tom Blyth and Emily Bader.
In the years that follow, theirs is the type of friendship that others increasingly clock as verging on codependent, to a degree that starts to impact their respective romantic relationships, none of which tend to last that long. Its an irresistible version of the friends-to-lovers trope, where everyone else, save for Poppy and Alex themselves, can see that Poppy and Alex are actually perfect for each other, and continuing to deny the truth is only going to end up hurting someone in the long run.
To their credit, Bader and Blyth are more than capable of making their characters will-they-wont-they dance believable and genuine without making the viewer feel like theyre being strung along. Although the films script largely follows the structure of the novel by alternating between past and present, it doesnt make the overall story too confusing to follow. If anything, jumping back to the past only adds new layers to Poppy and Alexs strained relationship in the present, allowing for a richer understanding of just how deep their friendship goes and the pivotal moment when they choose to back away from each other over pursuing something more.
People We Meet on Vacation Is Poppy and Alexs Story, for Better and Worse
Unfortunately, with the film needing to devote so much of its runtime to evolving Poppy and Alexs relationship across years of vacations, most of the supporting characters in People We Meet on Vacation arent nearly as fleshed out. On the one hand, it makes sense, because this story is chiefly about two best friends who have to slowly and gradually realize that they want to be more than friends, but the movies biggest constraint just doesnt allow for other characters to earn anywhere close to the same development.
Molly Shannon and Alan Ruck are admittedly delightful as Poppys parents, who are convinced Poppy and Alexs trip to the woods is a cover for them to officially hook up, but theyre limited in showcasing their comedic chops for the duration of literally one scene. Others earn slightly more to do but still feel significantly underdeveloped. Jameela Jamil plays Poppys boss at R&R and Lukas Gage briefly drops into the story as a hot tour guide whom Poppy considers hooking up with, while Lucien Laviscount and Sarah Catherine Hook earn the distinction of becoming the first significant others that Poppy and Alex bring on vacation with them, but all of them are largely reduced to stepping stones that serve the larger romantic narrative with very little characterization of their own.
All that said, if youre watching for Poppy and Alex above everyone else (and why wouldnt you be?), People We Meet on Vacation largely succeeds at adapting one of BookToks most-loved romance novels. While the film itself doesnt quite veer into the same devastatingly angsty territory that Henrys books tend to reach, there are just enough subtly pining looks and callbacks to the source material — including a gorgeously shot rain-soaked climax that visually and emotionally hits all the right notes — to satisfy viewers on the lookout for fan-favorite scenes.
Bader and Blyth are an irresistibly charming duo, and the decision to move the storys present-day scenes from Palm Springs to Barcelona results in some of the films most stunning locations. Not only will you be rooting for Poppy and Alex to make things work, but youll also probably end up with a little wanderlust yourself.
People We Meet on Vacation comes to Netflix on January 9.
- Release Date
- January 8, 2026
- Runtime
- 109 minutes
- Director
- Brett Haley
- Writers
- Yulin Kuang, Emily Henry, Nunzio Randazzo, Amos Vernon
- Producers
- Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, Isaac Klausner
Cast
-
Tom BlythAlex Nilsen
-
Emily BaderPoppy Wright
People We Meet on Vacation follows the story of Poppy and Alex, longtime friends with contrasting personalities, who embark on a series of vacations together. Over a decade, the adventures lead them to question whether their friendship might evolve into something more profound as they explore their true feelings.
- Blyth and Bader are the perfect choices for Alex and Poppys opposites-attract dynamic.
- The film adapts one of the books best scenes with its emotional, rain-soaked climax.
- The movies choice to move the present-day timeline from Palm Springs to Barcelona results in some stunning visuals.
- Because the film has to devote so much time to Alex and Poppys story, the supporting cast unfortunately isnt very developed at all.
|
|
| |
|
|
