Directed by Brett Haley and written by Yulin Kuang, Amos Vernon, and Nunzio Randazzo, "People We Meet on Vacation" is a 2026 romantic comedy that arrives as Netflix's first adaptation of Emily Henry's bestselling romance novels. Produced by 3000 Pictures and Temple Hill Entertainment, this 98-minute film stars Emily Bader as free-spirited travel writer Poppy Wright and Tom Blyth as reserved academic Alex Nilsen, with supporting performances from Sarah Catherine Hook, Jameela Jamil, Lukas Gage, Miles Heizer, Alan Ruck, and Molly Shannon.
Released on Netflix on January 9, 2026, the film follows Poppy and Alex, college friends who have maintained an annual vacation tradition for nearly a decade despite being polar opposites. When two years of silence threaten to end their friendship permanently, a destination wedding in Barcelona forces them to confront feelings they've long avoided acknowledging. As the first of five optioned Emily Henry adaptations to reach screens, this film matters as a litmus test for whether her beloved brand of contemporary romance can successfully translate from page to screen, and whether Netflix can recapture the magic of classic romantic comedies for a new generation seeking escapist comfort in an increasingly cynical landscape.
Story and Screenplay: Familiar Framework with Structural Ambition
The narrative employs a nonlinear structure that alternates between present-day Barcelona and flashbacks spanning nearly ten years of annual vacations. This approach directly channels the DNA of romantic comedy classics, particularly the road-trip-to-romance framework established decades ago, though with a contemporary gender flip that positions Poppy as the chaotic force and Alex as the cautious planner. The structural gambit allows the film to reveal their relationship's evolution gradually while maintaining mystery about what drove them apart.
At its core, the screenplay tackles recognizable themes about finding home in people rather than places, the tension between wanderlust and stability, and whether opposite personalities can sustain lasting connection. The vacation-as-character-development concept provides natural episodic structure, from New Orleans dance sequences to Canadian wilderness mishaps to Tuscan complications. Each location theoretically represents a chapter in their developing bond, though the execution rarely digs beneath surface-level tourist experiences.
The writing demonstrates awareness of genre conventions, occasionally acknowledging the predictability of certain beats while still hitting them faithfully. The script smartly condenses what could have been sprawling material into focused narrative threads, streamlining character arcs and combining storylines to maintain momentum within the limited runtime. However, this compression comes at a cost. The screenplay never quite justifies why two people so obviously suited for each other would maintain strictly platonic boundaries for so long, beyond the generic obstacle of timing and other romantic entanglements.
The dialogue aims for witty banter but often settles for pleasant conversation that lacks the sharp specificity great romantic comedy requires. There are moments of genuine sweetness, particularly in quieter exchanges where vulnerability surfaces, but the script struggles to generate consistent comedic energy or quotable exchanges. The pacing maintains steady forward motion without dragging, though the constant timeline shifts occasionally create jarring transitions that undercut emotional continuity.
Most problematically, the screenplay provides minimal texture about what these characters' lives look like during the fifty-one weeks per year when they're not together. Their professions exist as convenient plot devices rather than fully realized aspects of their identities. We're told Poppy travels constantly for work but rarely see how that lifestyle actually functions or why it's begun to feel hollow. Alex's academic career remains frustratingly vague, existing primarily to establish him as someone content with small-town stability.
Acting and Characters: Charisma Searching for Connection
Emily Bader attacks the role of Poppy with considerable energy and commitment, embodying the character's impulsive exuberance with physical comedy and expressive reactions. She brings vibrant screen presence to every scene, making Poppy's mess of contradictions feel endearing rather than simply annoying, though the character's aggressive quirkiness occasionally crosses into grating territory. Bader demonstrates range when the script allows quieter moments of melancholy or self-doubt, suggesting depth beyond the manic pixie framework the character threatens to become. Her performance shines brightest in scenes requiring vulnerability, where she peels back Poppy's performative brightness to reveal genuine longing and confusion.
Tom Blyth faces the more challenging task of making Alex compelling despite the character's inherent reserve and conventional choices. He brings subtle warmth to a role that could easily read as simply boring, finding small moments to inject humor or unexpected spontaneity. Blyth excels at reactive work, his face conveying complex emotions during scenes where he's processing Poppy's latest scheme or wrestling with unspoken feelings. The performance suggests layers the script doesn't always explore, hinting at an interior life that remains frustratingly opaque.
The central issue plaguing the film becomes immediately apparent once you focus on the relationship itself: Bader and Blyth never generate the crackling romantic chemistry essential for this story to succeed. They're perfectly pleasant together, convincing as friends who enjoy each other's company, but the spark that would make their eventual romance feel inevitable rather than obligatory never materializes. Their most successful moments occur during platonic interactions, comfortable and warm but lacking the undercurrent of tension that should simmer beneath every exchange. When the film requires heat, particularly during more intimate encounters, both performers seem to be performing romance rather than feeling it.
The supporting cast exists primarily in service to the central relationship, receiving minimal development despite talented performers filling the roles. Jameela Jamil brings sharp-edged sophistication to Poppy's editor but appears in essentially one scene that establishes her function as narrative pressure rather than fully realized character. Alan Ruck and Molly Shannon steal their brief appearance as Poppy's embarrassingly sex-positive parents, delivering the film's most genuinely funny sequence with effortless comic timing that highlights what the rest of the movie lacks. Their single scene generates more authentic laughter than the entire remainder of the runtime.
Lukas Gage makes a memorable impression during his limited screen time as a flirtatious tour guide, bringing playful energy that momentarily enlivens the proceedings. Sarah Catherine Hook, Miles Heizer, and others fulfill their plot functions adequately but never emerge as distinct personalities. The script treats them as obstacles or stepping stones in Poppy and Alex's journey rather than people with their own desires and complexities.
Direction and Technical Aspects: Glossy Production Values Masking Emotional Flatness
Brett Haley, whose previous work demonstrated skill with intimate character studies and emotional specificity, approaches this material with professional competence but little distinctive vision. The direction feels workmanlike, hitting expected beats without adding layers of visual storytelling or tonal nuance that might elevate the familiar material. Haley stages scenes efficiently but rarely finds opportunities for visual inventiveness or memorable composition that would make individual moments linger in memory.
The cinematography by Rob C. Givens embraces aggressive sun-drenched aesthetics that bathe nearly every frame in golden hour lighting, creating a perpetually warm and inviting atmosphere that sometimes feels more suited to luxury travel advertising than romantic drama. The lighting choices, while technically polished, often over-illuminate actors in ways that flatten rather than enhance their features, creating that distinctly modern streaming aesthetic where everything looks expensive but somehow artificial. The camera work favors medium shots that keep both performers in frame but rarely ventures into intimate close-ups that would allow faces to convey the subtle emotional shifts great romance requires.
The production design leans heavily into aspirational vacation fantasies, presenting gorgeously appointed apartments, stunning vistas, and picture-perfect locations that look curated for Instagram rather than lived-in. Barcelona becomes a backdrop of architectural beauty and sun-dappled streets, but we rarely get a sense of place beyond surface-level tourism. The various vacation destinations blur together aesthetically, distinguished more by plot requirements than distinctive visual identity or cultural specificity.
The editing maintains steady rhythm without being particularly dynamic or creative. The constant shifts between past and present are clearly signaled but executed without much flair, occasionally creating awkward transitions that break emotional momentum. The film needed either better visual distinction between timelines or more seamless integration of flashback material into present-day scenes. As structured, the constant time-jumping sometimes feels like a gimmick that creates artificial complexity rather than enriching our understanding of the relationship.
Perhaps most frustratingly, the wide-screen format seems chosen without clear purpose. The expansive frame often sits largely empty, failing to utilize the additional space for meaningful composition or visual storytelling. In scenes requiring intimacy, the width creates distance between viewer and character rather than drawing us closer.
Music and Atmosphere: Competent Soundtrack Supporting Tepid Romance
The musical choices aim for contemporary cool while evoking classic romantic comedy warmth. The soundtrack incorporates licensed tracks that signal mood and era, including Polo & Pan's summery "Nana" during the opening beach sequence and Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl" during a key drunken dance scene. These selections work adequately to establish tone and provide nostalgic texture, though they never transcend being functional choices to become memorable musical moments integral to the storytelling.
The score itself remains understated and inoffensive, providing gentle emotional underlining without asserting strong personality. It swells appropriately during meant-to-be romantic peaks and recedes during dialogue-heavy sequences, fulfilling its basic obligations without creating distinctive musical themes that might enhance the emotional landscape. The music rarely takes risks or makes bold choices that might elevate scenes beyond their scripted content.
Sound design maintains professional standards without particular creativity. The various locations sound appropriately different, with beach waves, city ambience, and wilderness quiet establishing basic sense of place, but the audio work never becomes a storytelling tool in itself. There's competence across the board but little inspiration or innovation.
The overall atmosphere the film cultivates leans heavily toward comfort and escapism. This is deliberately pleasant viewing designed to provide warmth without challenge, romance without genuine stakes, and beauty without complexity. The tone aims for When Harry Met Sally's balance of humor and heart but achieves only a faint echo of that film's sharp observation and emotional honesty. Everything feels slightly too calculated, too consciously attempting to recreate past magic rather than generating its own.
Trailer People We Meet on Vacation (2026)
Strengths and Weaknesses
What Works Well:
- Emily Bader brings committed energy and occasional vulnerability to a challenging role that could have been insufferable in less capable hands
- The nonlinear structure effectively builds mystery about what fractured the friendship while revealing relationship evolution
- Alan Ruck and Molly Shannon's brief appearance as Poppy's parents delivers genuine comic relief and demonstrates what the film's humor could have been
- Production values maintain consistent gloss and professional polish throughout
- The gender-flipped dynamic of the chaotic woman and cautious man provides slight freshness to well-worn territory
- Costume design, particularly Poppy's wardrobe, creates visually appealing character expression
- The Barcelona setting in present-day sequences offers genuinely beautiful backdrops
- The film's ambition to adapt a beloved contemporary romance novel for passionate fans deserves acknowledgment
What Doesn't Work:
- The central romantic chemistry between Bader and Blyth never ignites, leaving the core relationship feeling more theoretical than tangible
- Supporting characters remain criminally underdeveloped, reduced to plot functions rather than fully realized people
- The script provides minimal detail about the characters' lives outside their annual vacations, making their world feel shallow and incomplete
- Direction lacks distinctive vision or memorable visual storytelling, settling for competent but uninspired execution
- The dialogue rarely achieves the wit or quotability that would make conversations engaging beyond surface pleasantness
- The cinematography's over-reliance on golden-hour lighting creates an artificially perfect aesthetic that undermines authenticity
- The wide-screen format serves no clear purpose and often creates unnecessary distance from the characters
- The reasons for Poppy and Alex maintaining platonic boundaries for so long never feel adequately justified or believable
- The film's opening scenes, particularly the tone-deaf introduction featuring Jameela Jamil, poorly establish the intended atmosphere The various vacation locations lack distinct visual identity or cultural specificity beyond generic beauty
Final Verdict: Pleasant Escapism Hindered by Missing Magic
Rating: 3/5 stars
"People We Meet on Vacation" earns its 3-star rating by delivering professionally crafted romantic escapism that satisfies basic genre requirements while failing to achieve the emotional resonance or distinctive personality that would make it memorable. The film functions adequately as background-friendly comfort viewing, providing sun-soaked beauty and attractive performers navigating familiar romantic territory with sufficient competence. For viewers seeking undemanding distraction during cold January days, it offers exactly what its title promises: a temporary vacation from reality, even if that vacation proves more pleasant than transformative.
This film will find its audience among devoted Emily Henry readers curious to see her beloved characters brought to life, despite the adaptation making significant changes to storylines and settings. Fans of contemporary romance novels who prioritize faithfulness to genre conventions over innovation will appreciate the film's willingness to embrace rather than subvert classic tropes. Those seeking easy weekend viewing that won't challenge or disturb, who value gorgeous locations and attractive leads over complex characterization or sharp dialogue, will find this perfectly serviceable. The movie also serves younger viewers being introduced to romantic comedy as a genre, offering a relatively chaste, family-friendly entry point that emphasizes emotional connection over physical intimacy.
However, viewers seeking the wit, specificity, and genuine romantic heat of classic romantic comedies will likely find this a disappointing substitute. Anyone hoping for chemistry that jumps off the screen or dialogue that crackles with intelligence will be left wanting. Those who value strong supporting characters and richly detailed worlds will notice how thin the film's universe feels, with everyone and everything existing solely to service the central will-they-or-won't-they question. Cinephiles looking for distinctive directorial vision or innovative storytelling approaches should seek their entertainment elsewhere, as this represents thoroughly conventional filmmaking that brings nothing new to familiar formulas.
Ultimately, "People We Meet on Vacation" exemplifies the challenge facing modern romantic comedies in the streaming era: how to recreate the magic of beloved classics when both the cultural context and filmmaking economics have fundamentally shifted. The film possesses all the technical elements and structural components that should work, yet the ineffable spark that transforms competent romance into unforgettable love story never appears. It's a movie about two people who are supposedly perfect for each other, starring two performers who seem perfectly nice but not quite right together, directed with professional polish but little passion. Like a vacation to a beautiful destination where the weather's perfect but you can't quite shake the feeling that something essential is missing, this film leaves you appreciating the effort while wishing the experience had moved you more deeply. It's perfectly adequate escapism for an idle afternoon, but it won't become anyone's favorite romantic getaway.
People We Meet on Vacation will be available to stream only on Netflix starting January 9th.
 Movie Review: A Sun-Drenched Romance That Coasts on Charm Rather Than Chemistry){kind=link}
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