People We Meet on Vacation is a 2026 American romantic comedy film that premiered globally on Netflix on January 9, 2026, under the direction of Brett Haley and the storytelling of screenwriters Yulin Kuang, Amos Vernon, and Nunzio Randazzo. Based on the 2021 bestselling novel by Emily Henry, the movie stars Emily Bader as Poppy Wright and Tom Blyth as Alex Nilsen, reprising a story beloved by readers for its emotional warmth, deep character dynamics, and celebration of friendship and love.
With a runtime of 118 minutes, People We Meet on Vacation blends the joyful impulse of a travel film with the emotional gravity of a decades‑long friendship finally confronting its true nature. It is more than a simple rom‑com; it is a character study about life choices, vulnerability, and the unpredictable path of love.
Genesis and Production: From Page to Screen
The novel People We Meet on Vacation was published in 2021 and quickly became a modern favorite in the romance genre. Its exploration of what it means to love someone beyond labels – complicated, gradual, and real – made it ripe for adaptation. Though the story’s success on the page was swift, the journey to screen took shape over several years.
A film adaptation was first announced in October 2022, with Brett Haley attached to direct and Temple Hill Entertainment producing. Netflix joined the venture in August 2024, firmly securing it as one of the platform’s notable romance offerings.
Principal photography began in late 2024, with multiple global locations standing in for the diverse settings that Poppy and Alex visit throughout their shared decade of summer vacations. Additional cast members were announced through late 2024 and into 2025, featuring Sarah Catherine Hook, Jameela Jamil, Lucien Laviscount, Lukas Gage, Miles Heizer, Alan Ruck, and Molly Shannon, among others.
Filming itself was an ambitious project. While the novel moves through vibrant locales across the world, the movie navigated logistical challenges by creatively using regions such as Spain (including Barcelona and Costa Brava), Louisiana (as the stand‑in for U.S. settings), and other sites to replicate the environments of the story. These choices not only preserved cinematic beauty but also highlighted the narrative’s core theme — the journey itself matters as much as the destination.
The first official teaser trailer dropped on September 30, 2025, with a full trailer later released in December. These trailers showcased the affectionate dynamic between Poppy and Alex, full of laughter, awkward moments, and the quiet yearning that underpins their shared history.
Story Structure: Plot and Themes
At its core, People We Meet on Vacation tells the story of opposites drawn together through time, friendship, and circumstance. The narrative unfolds in nonlinear fashion, drifting between flashbacks of past vacations and the present‑day reunion that could change everything.
Poppy and Alex: Opposites in Sync
Poppy Wright is introduced as a free‑spirited travel writer who has spent much of her adult life on the road. Her career, once joyful, has begun to feel hollow — a pattern that mirrors her unsettled personal life. Meanwhile, Alex Nilsen is a more grounded character, content with quiet routines, serious contemplation, and the comfort of home.
Their friendship began in college at Boston College when a shared road trip back to their hometown of Linfield, Ohio, bonded them. Though inherently different, they made a pact — every year, no matter where life took them, they would take one week of summer vacation together. This tradition spanned a decade, carrying them to breathtaking beaches, European cities, and countless conversations that wove their individual lives into an unintentional shared tapestry.
The Central Journey: A Vacation That Changes Everything
The central arc of the film begins nearly two years after the two last spoke. Poppy learns of her friend David’s upcoming wedding in Barcelona — and with it, the realization that Alex, David’s brother, is her former best friend with whom she has unresolved feelings. Impulsively, she reaches out to him with a false pretext: that she is visiting Barcelona for work. In truth, she hopes this trip might mend what has been broken between them and help her confront her own growing affection for him.
The movie smartly structures scenes between the present and the past, using vacations as emotional milestones — some joyful, some painful, all learned from. As their journey unfolds, viewers witness the subtle progression of Poppy and Alex’s relationship, from friends who share inside jokes to two people who must wrestle with the truth of what they might mean to each other. This structure not only provides narrative richness but also allows emotional layers to build organically.
Love, Timing, and Self‑Discovery
A consistent theme throughout the movie is the delicate balance of timing in love. Poppy and Alex are never in sync for most of their relationship — a powerful metaphor for how love sometimes arrives early, late, or in forms we least expect. Their annual vacations are not just scenic backdrops but symbolic markers of time and growth, reflecting changes in their lives, priorities, and understanding of themselves.
By positioning vacations as recurring moments of honesty and vulnerability, the film underscores a crucial idea: travel can strip away pretense, revealing the core of who we are and who we want to become. For Poppy and Alex, each trip reveals more about their connection to each other — as friends and, ultimately, as lovers.
Characterization and Ensemble Cast
Unlike some traditional romantic comedies that hinge solely on two leads, People We Meet on Vacation benefits from a wide ensemble that enhances the world around Poppy and Alex.
- Poppy Wright (Emily Bader) is effervescent, adventurous, and brave in her willingness to confront her emotions even when it terrifies her.
- Alex Nilsen (Tom Blyth) is introspective, steady, and deeply loyal — though his emotional restraint has often kept him from recognizing his own feelings until too late.
Supporting roles add texture: Alex’s on‑again, off‑again girlfriend Sarah (Sarah Catherine Hook) represents a life path that might have been possible but ultimately didn’t unlock his heart. Other friends and companions — Trey, Buck, David, and more — offer insight into the social worlds the protagonists inhabit.
The choice of Bader and Blyth as leads was widely discussed during pre‑release chatter. Henry herself expressed enthusiasm for the cast, believing they captured the emotional core of her characters.
Aesthetic and Musical Choices
Director Brett Haley — known for films that combine poignancy with a relatable, lived‑in feel — brings a lightness to the film’s visual language. Scenic cinematography emphasizes sunsets, beaches, cobblestone streets, and vibrant moments framed by travel — images that evoke both romance and the emotional texture of memories.
The soundtrack plays with eclectic choices, balancing classic romantic tunes with songs that underscore Poppy’s spirited personality and Alex’s quieter depth. While the music complements the narrative, it never overshadows the intimate conversations and unspoken glances that define the film’s emotional center.
Critical Reception and Cultural Impact
Upon release, People We Meet on Vacation garnered generally positive reviews from critics who praised the chemistry between the leads and the escapist romantic narrative. It landed at 76% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer, highlighting a consensus that the adaptation was “breezy” and “worth staying for.”
Many viewers appreciated the film during a post‑holiday slump – Netflix positioned it as a heartwarming title to break up the mid‑winter blues. It ranked high on Netflix’s daily top lists shortly after release.
However, audience reception was mixed on certain fronts. Some commentators online expressed that the movie couldn’t capture all the rich emotional beats of the book, noting that the constraints of a single film made certain relationships feel compressed or less fully developed. Others pointed out that the film’s romantic arc was predictable or preferred the depth of inner dialogue available in the novel.
Despite these critiques, the movie succeeded in reinforcing Netflix’s commitment to accessible romantic storytelling. Indeed, its release appears to have fueled interest in adapting other Emily Henry novels, such as Beach Read, Book Lovers, Happy Place, and Funny Story, each moving forward in various stages of development across studios and streaming platforms.
Themes and Broader Messages
While People We Meet on Vacation is fundamentally a romance, its deeper resonance lies in universal themes of timing, identity, and connection.
Friendship as Foundation
The film celebrates friendship not as a precursor to romance, but as a legitimate, complex bond in its own right. Poppy and Alex’s evolution from college friends to potential lovers emphasizes that truly knowing someone requires time, patience, and vulnerability – not just chemistry. Their friendship offers a model of emotional honesty rarely appreciated in traditional romantic narratives.
Travel as Transformation
Travel is treated less as a plot device and more as a metaphor for personal evolution. Each vacation represents a phase of life – youthful possibility, mid‑life uncertainty, and the raw reality of confronting desires long buried beneath routine and fear.
Love Beyond Labels
Perhaps the most powerful theme is the idea that love doesn’t always announce itself in grand statements. Sometimes it unfolds quietly, in shared glances, in the willingness to show up for someone year after year, and in the humility to learn from mistakes.
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