“People We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry has been a beloved book on social media since its release in May of 2021. It has become a staple of the friends-to-lovers trope in media. Henry was already an established author, with her previous book, “Beach Read,” being even bigger than “People We Meet on Vacation.” The book was announced to be adapted with director Brett Haley and Netflix in 2022, largely due to the popularity of Henry’s books as a whole, not just this one. Fans spent almost two years making fan casts on social media for who their perfect Poppy and Alex would be. All theories were put to rest in late 2024 when Tom Blyth and Emily Bader were announced to be playing these characters.
As filming began, stills and behind-the-scenes shots were released, increasing excitement for the film. Much of the hype came from how perfect the casting felt, especially since the announcement came right as Tom Blyth was coming off the press tour for “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” The movie finally released on January 9, 2026, and the reviews have been great, even among die-hard fans of the book.
“People We Meet on Vacation” is a story of two best friends told between the present and the past, spanning twelve years from when they first meet to the current timeline. Poppy and Alex’s story is meant to signify finding your person in someone who is your polar opposite and waiting for them, even if you might not realize it at first. The movie took many of the most important parts of the book and adapted them well. It included a lot of direct quotes that were crucial to the story.
Realistically, a book-to-film adaptation will never be one hundred percent accurate, and a story as deep and dense as this one makes it difficult to include everything. Many fans wished it had become a miniseries due to the six-plus hours of content that could be pulled from the book, but unfortunately, for a lot of different reasons, a movie was the best direction. The only Emily Henry book that was becoming a series was “Happy Place,” but after the success of “People We Meet on Vacation,” Netflix decided to shift that project into a film as well.
As a movie, it is great. It brings back that cheesy rom-com feeling that has been missing from films for the past few years. It evokes the spirit of movies like “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and “When Harry Met Sally,” but in doing so, it strips back a lot of the characterization. They kept some crucial moments from the book, such as the balcony scene where they confess their love for each other and the summer where Poppy gets sick and cancels the trip. The chemistry between Emily Bader and Tom Blyth is also off the charts. Alex’s longing looks throughout the summers are filled with tension. There is absolutely no debate that Emily Bader stole the show. She was incredibly charismatic and embodied the role perfectly. Her comedic timing was impeccable, and her ability to shift into the more serious and emotional scenes while maintaining the integrity of the character was impressive.
That said, the film watered down a major aspect of Poppy’s career crisis, which was a huge plot point in the book. Her lie to Alex about the wedding trip being fully paid for by R+R, when in reality she was covering the rental car and Airbnb herself, was removed. This change is part of a larger pattern, including altering her living situation from a stuffy one-bedroom studio with a chair instead of a couch to a large, stylish apartment. Other cut moments include the car breaking down and the disastrous day trip where everything went wrong, heightening the tension between them. While these moments were not strictly necessary for the movie, they helped build the dynamic between the two protagonists in the book.
In contrast, Tom Blyth played an excellent Alex with what he was given. The biggest critique of the film is the lack of depth in his character. The book portrays Alex as a shy, nerdy, emotionally reserved man who struggles deeply with the loss of his mother and the responsibility of helping raise his younger brothers. In the adaptation, his mother’s death is only briefly mentioned, with little emphasis on how it shapes him.
The film also cuts the scene where Poppy goes through Alex’s Tinder profile, a moment that reveals how he only has eyes for her. While they kept Poppy’s pregnancy scare, which was a turning point for her, they removed the detail that Alex got a vasectomy afterward due to his fear of childbirth following his mother’s death. His attachment to his elderly cat, Flannery O’Connor, was also completely removed.
It feels as though the film wanted to center Poppy, but in doing so, Alex’s story became secondary and largely defined by what she needs. Book Alex would never have proposed to Sarah after fighting with Poppy and nearly kissing her. While he almost married Sarah, he could never bring himself to fully commit. The film did a good job condensing smaller summers into one to create more space for the present-day storyline, but it combined the Tuscany and Croatia trips. In the book, their falling out after Croatia is mutual, with neither knowing how to return to normal. The film instead portrays Alex as angry and final, declaring it their last trip after proposing to Sarah. While this works for the movie’s version of Alex, book readers know that would never happen.
In situations like this, it is important to keep the book and the movie separate. Many creative decisions are made due to technical and logistical limitations that fans may not see. The studio also has influence over the final product, and Netflix is not known for prioritizing faithful adaptations. Still, many things were done exceptionally well. The direction and use of color and lighting were incredible. Poppy’s brightness visibly fades after her final fight with Alex. Throughout the summers, they are often dressed in opposite colors, primarily blue and orange, which sit opposite each other on the color wheel. The only times Poppy wears red, the color of love, are at the wedding and when she runs after Alex to confess her feelings. In New Orleans, they are color-coordinated at the bar, and in that moment, viewers truly feel how deeply they love each other. That scene is arguably one of the strongest in the entire movie because it allows the characters to fully shine.
The dialogue was another highlight. Modern rom-coms often struggle with jokes that feel forced or overly cringey, but that was not the case here. Yulin Kuang, the lead writer on the screenplay, delivered humor that landed perfectly, prompting genuine laughter throughout the film. The vision for the project was clear, and it was executed to the best of the creative team’s ability within the limitations placed on them after Netflix picked it up. The film’s success will likely open more doors for everyone involved.
Overall, the movie was good, though it is easy to nitpick if you are a devoted fan of the book. If you have not read the novel, now might be the perfect time, especially if the film left you wanting to know the characters more deeply. Just two days after its release, it reached the number one spot on Netflix, marking the return of a true rom-com hit. Fans may have to accept that future Emily Henry adaptations will follow a similar direction, as Netflix has announced plans to adapt three more of her books, including the beloved “Beach Read,” which has officially begun casting for Gus and January. “People We Meet on Vacation” served as the catalyst for what could become a strong film catalog for Emily Henry. Hopefully, we get to see more of her stories brought to life sooner rather than later.