Poppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth) could not be more different. Poppy is outgoing, kills every plant she’s ever owned and can’t stay in one place for too long. Alex is reserved, would rather be stuck in a book and enjoys staying home. When the two meet by chance, they somehow become best friends. They decide that no matter how far apart they are, they will meet up once a year and go on vacation together.
The first of author Emily Henry’s books to be given the silver screen adaption treatment, Netflix had big shoes to fill. It’s the second of her six novels and I remember reading it as if it was yesterday – I was tucked up in a cottage in Canada with my husband during the summer of 2021. The weather was not on our side, but we made the most of it by watching movies, grilling under the covered deck and of course, reading. I was so excited when I heard that this was being made into a film. I’m pleased to report that they did it justice.
Every now and then, when you’re reading the source material, you sometimes have an idea in your mind of who you would like to be casted as the characters. I actually had no ideas prior to the film, but Bader and Blyth were Poppy and Alex. They exuded every single quality down to a tee. As the story was told mainly in Poppy’s perspective, Bader had a chance to really shine on screen and she did. I was already a fan from her time on My Lady Jane, but she’s proven now that she is a true leading lady. Blyth, of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes fame, was not featured as often, but he did make it count whenever he was. Together, their chemistry was so cute, easy and very believable.
One of the aspects I was most looking forward to seeing come to life was, of course, the depiction of each vacation. From camping in Canada, to getting drunk in New Orleans, to a derailed Norwegian plan and finally to the ill fated trip to Tuscany that changed everything, it was so fun to embark on these adventures with Poppy and Alex. I absolutely loved the club scene in New Orleans when Alex woos Poppy with his dance moves, but I think my favorite was Norway (or what should have been Norway).
Another way in which the film excelled was in its comedy. It was genuinely funny. I was laughing out loud on multiple occasions. I don’t remember the book having the same affect, but I’m not complaining. Some of the supporting cast members such as Jameela Jamil, Molly Shannon, Alan Ruck and Lukas Gage helped in this regard. The script was tight, some of the scenes condensed to make them flow better and although they did make some changes from the book, it wasn’t without reasoning.
Overall, People We Meet on Vacation is one of the better romcoms I have seen in awhile. Films of this genre have lately been disregarded; people don’t think they are realistic enough and don’t believe they should be taken seriously. This one was handled with the proper respect and care that was needed to drive home its message. I was left with the biggest smile on my face and my husband even became totally invested too. Now I can’t wait to see more of Emily Henry’s books receive the same treatment.
Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️.5
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