People We Meet on Vacation

Based on Emily Henry's bestselling novel, People We Meet on Vacation is a 2026 romantic comedy about Poppy Wright, a restless travel writer, and Alex Nilsen, her dependable, home-loving former best friend. The story follows the pair as they reconnect after years of distance and retrace the pattern that shaped their relationship: one week of vacation together each year, a bond filled with easy chemistry, unspoken feelings, and emotional detours. Netflix's official materials describe them as unlikely best friends, and the film uses travel as both a romantic backdrop and a way to reveal what each character really wants from life. The setup leans into the familiar friends-to-lovers dynamic, with flashbacks, banter, and destination-hopping giving the movie its breezy, postcard-like tone. It stars Emily Bader and Tom Blyth, with the film released on Netflix in January 2026.

Critical response has been mixed to moderately positive, with most praise focusing on the leads and the film's easygoing romantic charm. Several outlets highlighted the chemistry between Emily Bader and Tom Blyth, calling the adaptation breezy, sweet, and entertaining, especially for fans of the genre and Emily Henry's novel. Rotten Tomatoes' critic blurbs echoed that reaction, with one review describing it as “charming, funny, sweet, romantic,” while another said the film sets a strong bar for future Emily Henry adaptations. Metacritic's critic snippets similarly noted that the movie is charming and worthwhile as a date-night watch, but that it can feel familiar and lightly plotted. On the more skeptical side, RogerEbert.com criticized it as a thin blend of better romantic-comedy touchstones, suggesting that the adaptation borrows heavily from classics without fully building its own identity. Audience feedback appears more divided: Metacritic's user score landed in the mixed range, with some viewers praising the performances and atmosphere, and others finding the story scattered or too reliant on cliché. Overall, it seems like a pleasant, low-stakes romance that succeeds most when it stays with its stars and their emotional pull.