Review
People We Meet on Vacation (Romance, Comedy) [Based on Novel] (2026)
Director: Brett Haley
Writer: Yulin Kuang, Amos Vernon, Nunzio Randazzo, Emily Henry (Based on Novel by)
Stars: Emily Bader, Tom Blyth, Lucien Laviscount, Jameela Jamil
Travelling the world for work, a young woman makes it a tradition to spend one week each summer with her best friend — until a distance drives them apart and unspoken feelings breach emotional barriers.
Coming in as the only Emily Henry novel adaptation at this time, with several other titles currently in development, ‘’People We Meet on Vacation’’ as directed by Brett Haley, offers a rom-com with an affinity for drama. Created as a first-look partnership between Sony Pictures and the streaming giant, it has been produced by 3000 Pictures and Temple Hill Entertainment while being distributed by Netflix.
Living a seemingly lavish life as a travel writer, sent all across the globe, Poppy (Emily Bader) feels unhappy and disconnected ever since her contact with her best friend, Alex (Tom Blyth), has faded. This journey is one of friends reconnecting, back to what made them click, unsure whether the feelings they share are romantic or if they were meant to stray apart forever.
Bright, vibrant, and incredibly modern-day, Haley’s perspective on a Henry novel reflects Gen-Z curation — the ideal picture without visible heartbreak. However, there is discomfort, pain and a lingering sting padded just enough to soften the blow.
Crucially framing romance and travel as a social media reel, the link between Bader’s Poppy and Blyth’s Alex is conflicted, their bond centred on fragility. This fitfulness is framed only after light-hearted introductions and travel memories shared. What is provided is a relationship denying destiny in initial accounts as an accumulation: shared time, small moments, and the quiet weight of memory. Discomfort between them is treated as a harsh consequence, a desire, growing apart as the shadows of doubt crept in before realising the void in their hearts. Not as a revelatory romance, but intimacy progressing gradually — bolstering a crescendo.
While said progression largely works, the accumulation of points in time — with its heavy reliance on juxtaposing past and present becomes too much of a beclouded practice, asking more attention than the romance can comfortably support. When friendly tension turns into sparks, a brief pause tentatively slows the emotional momentum. In this moment, romance blossoms as pressure builds, the apogee pitching with friction still on the horizon. What follows is a consistent balance between tension, love and chemistry within the narrative — vital for an ambitiously stretched romantic endeavour.
Our lives, especially the early years, are formative; core memories, petty arguments and emotional development take place. That is exactly the frame Haley’s film poses: the quiet, unserious bond formed around each summer becomes unbreakable, and the clarity of Poppy’s heart, shaped around Alex, finally settles into focus. By allowing affection to feel lived-in rather than prolonged through artificial conflict, the connection becomes discoverable. Sharp, witty humour, with a habit of leaving once they’ve run their course, is a nice variety. ‘’People We Meet on Vacation’’ attains its staying power through accumulation, not revelation, a simmering bond being forged — crafted slowly — remembered as worth the wait.
Verdict
A Series of Expensive Holidays, All Leading Home.
8,0
