Whether you love or you hate them, the vibrant, cartoon-ish book covers that the romance genre is known for have become a staple in every bookstore. Emily Henry, a New York Times bestselling author known for her social media-famed adult romance novels, is perhaps the most notable writer that employs this popular artistic style. Henry’s books have sold over 10 million copies worldwide and this January fans celebrated the release of her first movie adaptation. Released on Netflix, “People We Meet On Vacation” brings one of her most iconic novels to life.
“People We Meet on Vacation” follows Poppy and Alex, best friends who meet up every summer for a trip abroad. The film takes place across two timelines; one starting when they first met, following their relationship throughout each subsequent vacation; the other taking place in the present day, when they haven’t spoken for two years following a friendship ending trip. In the latter timeline, Poppy attempts to reconnect with Alex at his brother’s wedding in Barcelona, while the former shows the events of each vacation that led to their eventual fight.
Emily Bader as Poppy was the highlight of the film. She made Poppy energetic, fun and incredibly herself. Poppy was self-assured, went after what she wanted but also had fears and vulnerabilities that made her a complex character. Her personal conflict in the present timeline is that she is starting to lose passion for her job as a travel journalist, the career that she had always dreamed of, and the one that she had enjoyed for many years. There were clear differences between Poppy in the first summer versus the summer set in the present day, and Bader portrayed this arc very well, bringing an energy to the character that made her both entertaining and genuine.
What the film lacked, however, was a solid leading man. While Alex’s mellow, serious demeanor is intended to contrast with Poppy’s high-energy and bubbly personality, he is written in a way that just makes him come off as uninteresting and one-dimensional. This was especially evident in the timeline set in the present, where Poppy is trying to fix their relationship and Alex is oblivious to this fact. It seemed like she was always confessing her feelings and he would agree, but there was never any initiative on his part. At the end, in fact, she has to chase Alex miles to confess her love to him after he seemingly would have been fine leaving their relationship in the past and returning to his home in Ohio forever. As the movie wraps up, it feels like Poppy deserves someone better than Alex—someone as interesting as her. This is not the fault of the actor, as Tom Blyth, who portrays Alex, and Bader have great chemistry in real life and throughout the vacation timeline. There is a fine line between a character who is serious and a character who is boring, and, unfortunately, in the present timeline, the writing leans more towards the latter.
Nevertheless, there were points where Alex is given more depth and opportunity to show his complex personality and most of these appear in the flashback timeline when he and Poppy were just friends. These include the camping scene and their trip to Norway, which are both fun, heartfelt storylines that really cement the vibrance of their friendship. The actors’ chemistry is at its best when the story portrays the characters as friends. While Alex’s character becomes more dull in the present-day timeline, the friendship that they build over the course of their trips makes up for it, and still leaves the viewer rooting for their relationship.
The energy and tropes are very reminiscent of old rom-coms, with the story taking direct inspiration from “When Harry Met Sally,” the 1989 rom-com iconic for its witty dialogue and slow-burn, friendship focused romance. “People We Meet On Vacation” employs many of these tropes, with the clearest homage being the car scene during their first summer when Poppy and Alex meet driving home from college together that mirrors the opening scene of the same premise in “When Harry Met Sally.”
Other stand outs of the film include the music and the locations. The soundtrack features amazing tracks such as “August” by Taylor Swift, “Forever Your Girl” by Paula Abdul and even a snippet of “Cool About It” by Boygenius in the background. Following the movie release, “Forever Your Girl” has gone viral on TikTok alongside attempted recreations of the iconic scene it accompanies in the movie, where Poppy, adorned in an electric blue wig, convinces reluctant Alex to dance with her in a karaoke bar in New Orleans. New Orleans is just one of the many vibrant locations that serve as backdrops to Poppy and Alex’s story throughout the film. Others include Spain, Tuscany, Barcelona and Canada. With filming primarily taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Barcelona, Spain, the production did a good job making each place feel individual, transforming them into the romantic settings that steer Poppy and Alex’s journey.
Overall, this is a heartfelt, fun rom-com that stands out for its unique plot structure and slow-burn storytelling. The story was engaging, the chemistry was instant and where the leading man was bland and boring, the leading woman was vibrant and complicated. With more Emily Henry book adaptations in the works, fans can feel good about their quality, at least if they are anything like “People We Meet on Vacation.” However, it will certainly be difficult to beat Emily Bader as an unforgettable leading woman.
Final Rating: 7/10
