Based on the book, People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry, the Netflix movie adapts all the key features from the novel. Free-spirited Poppy Wright (Emily Bader) and routine-loving Alex Nilsen (Tom Blyth) have been unlikely best friends for a decade, living in different cities but spending every summer vacation together. The careful balance of their friendship is put to the test when they begin to question what has been obvious to everyone else—could they actually be the perfect romantic match?
First off, Netflix and all the production companies spared no expense on filming at all these stunning locations. The film goes through places like New York City, Barcelona, Tuscany, and New Orleans—including Canada on the list with Squamish, British Columbia! To see Bader and Blyth’s misadventures to find themselves in all these places is something out of a fairy tale, at times.
Director Brett Haley even described the film as “the James Bond of rom-coms”, and it felt that way. Changing the destination wedding from Palm Springs to Barcelona amplified the wedding and story’s elegance—raising the stakes of the romantic tensions flying across the screen. Not only did this movie give me James Bond travel vibes, but the crazy amount of travelling reminded me of the Mission: Impossible and The Fast and the Furious films.
I felt like I was vicariously vacationing with Poppy and Alex, and maybe those who watch it on Netflix will feel that too. The cinematography and colour grading edits spectacularly showcased every location to appear in its best way possible. Between the budding romantic interests, the sceneries chew up the scenes as well as its leads—acting like a third character in this heated dance of indecisive hearts.
Blyth and Bader provide one of the best performances of the opposites attract trope, between flirtatious looks and quirky moves. The dance choreography in People We Meet On Vacation is spicy as it is impressive, and makes me wonder how long it took the actors to nail it. The ups and downs of the storytelling also help Blyth and Bader’s characters slowly develop feelings for one another, but in a more realistic manner. To say the least, love does not come easy in this movie; nothing is black-and-white.
The cameos and side characters also do not overstay their welcome, but still leave an impression—especially Poppy’s “hug-forward family.” Without skipping a beat, Alan Ruck and Molly Shannon make a few inappropriate sexual jokes to make the kids feel awkward. But they are not in many scenes of the movie. Even Lukas Gage’s character does not do anything too crazy in this movie.
“The dance choreography in People We Meet On Vacation is spicy as it is impressive…”
The White Lotus star, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Emily in Paris actor, Lucien Laviscount, follow suit and leave short, impactful actions rather than overshadowing their leads. Jameela Jamil as Poppy’s boss, Swapna Bakshi-Highsmith, works, but could have had more screentime with her high-level comedy. But it is good enough for what it was.
If there is one iconic line from People We Meet On Vacation, it would be that “vacation Alex” is way more fun than normal Alex. Also, “Linfield, Ohio.” The overall messaging and romantic getaway sentiments provide solid commentary on those who act differently on vacation than in their everyday lives. It also shows how falling in love and being in love take a lot of time, sometimes.
The 1-hour and 58-minute runtime allows Poppy and Alex’s relationship to slowly build up, get knocked down, and find the final answer by the end, making for a strong full story arc. At the end of this journey, the two will-they-won’t-they couple embark on a meaningful exploration to love themselves while searching for love outside of their normal lives.
People We Meet On Vacation is a great preview of Henry’s book adaptations, showing why her rom-com stories can be elevated in a film format. Blyth and Bader’s chemistry building awkwardly worked, as the two messily discover who they start as and who they become. For those who like solid arcs of self-exploration with the rom-com vibes, this is the perfect flick to check out on Netflix.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Henry, Emily (Author)
- Henry, Emily (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
