The highly anticipated rom-com movie, “People We Meet on Vacation,” based on Emily Henry’s popular novel, is a heartwarming friends-to-lovers story that brought a summer vibe into the winter season. The movie, released on Jan. 6 as a new Netflix original, is Henry’s first novel to be adapted on the screen and is one that is captivating, enjoyable, and brings the book to life.
Set in various vacation destinations, the plot begins with the main characters Poppy Wright (Emily Bader) and Alex Nilsen (Tom Blyth) who have opposing personalities as Poppy is an outgoing traveling addict and Alex prefers a stable life that accompanies his uptight personality. Despite these differences, the two become best friends and travel together for a week every summer. Even though they pushed through these contradictions, their friendship eventually faded, until both were invited to a wedding where they were forced to reunite and accept that their connection is something beyond friendship.
Bader and Nilsen are highly engaging as Poppy and Alex, and they bring their individual characters to life. The acting duo portrayed great on-screen chemistry, making it entertaining to watch how opposites attract while maintaining a natural and energetic dynamic. The obvious love and foreshadowing of the characters’ relationship excites the audience to see how they end up together. The film has a heartwarming portrayal of how Alex and Poppy bring out each other’s inner self: Poppy bringing out Alex’s fun side or “Vacation Alex” as she calls him, and Alex helping Poppy realize her insecurities and how she is running away from her home, Linfield, through traveling.
Director Brett Haley did an outstanding job on keeping originality by including the fans’ favorite scenes from the novel. Scenes such as the characters sharing one bed during their trip to Palm Springs, leading to romantic tension and where Poppy walks out in the rain to take a breath with Alex following her, fulfill a classic romance trope with a cheesy love confession in the pouring rain. The film mirrors the book by capturing the heart of Alex and Poppy’s story and how their friendship seamlessly became romantic. Fans don’t need to worry about missing the key emotional moments and can finally experience it visually.
The movie’s writing is definitely cheesy, but enjoyable like a classic rom-com movie with awkward confessions and common obstacles the characters face. It’s a perfect adaptation for cravings to watch opposites attract and friends-to-lovers tropes that are eagerly leaving the fans waiting for the necessary happy ending. The film doesn’t solely focus on the characters’ romantic relationship, but also focuses on their individual growth and how that brings the two together. The emotional depth and relatable content make this rom-com stand out by reaching to the audience with modern life lessons and struggles.
Critics have negatively commented on the quick transition from friends-to-lovers and how the beloved novel can’t be fully fit in a two hour movie. Overall, the movie averages at a rating of 73% rotten tomatoes, but is a perfect and quick made for TV watch for a weekend night.
