Romcoms are back, and we have Netflix to thank. On Jan. 9, Netflix released the new film “People We Meet on Vacation” to its streaming library. The film is a page-to-screen adaptation of the novel of the same name by Emily Henry, released in 2021. The story follows chaotic and energetic Poppy with a passion for travel, and her best friend Alex, who is her complete opposite in almost every way. He’s by the books, straightforward, organized, and hates traveling. At least, until he gains Poppy as a vacation buddy every summer. After almost nine years of friendship, the two must reconcile after a fight they had on their last vacation together.
As someone who read the book, I can honestly say the movie adaptation was up to my standards. Emily Bader did a perfect job of capturing Poppy’s essence and sharing her with a wider audience. She’s got the enthusiastic, carefree, type-B energy I grew so fond of while reading the book. She even nailed the famous Poppy Poof. She can be a little cringey, yes, but that’s part of her charm, I think. Plus, what’s a romcom without a few cheesy moments?
The perfect counterpart: Tom Blyth as Alex. He did a wonderful job harnessing Alex’s much more type-A personality with the perfect hint of emotional repression. Along with nailing his character, his perfect line delivery, dreamy eyes, and iconic dance moves are the cherry on top of his performance.
A big fear of mine when watching a film adapted from a novel is the plot. When translating a story from one medium to another, there have to be changes. Ultimately, you get less insight into your characters without a constant voiceover, and often the entire plot of a novel can’t fit into a runtime that will keep a modern audience’s attention. So, some moments have to be cut. However, in the case of “People We Meet on Vacation,” I think all the right choices were made. Of course, there were some moments I would have loved to see on screen, but they hit the most important plot points. Obviously, you can’t sacrifice a love confession in the rain. That’s romcom gold right there.
Overall, it was a fun time. The movie keeps your attention. The structure of the story works well with the amount of time jumps involved in the story, keeping the audience engaged and not confused. The performances from both main actors keep you on the edge of your seat, wondering when these two are going to get together already. And, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the costuming, especially for Poppy. Her style is a key part of her character, and the stylists truly nailed it. From chic looks in an Italian vista to spirited road trip attire, the costuming alone could keep your attention the whole time. Plus, the iconic scene in a New Orleans bar, where Emily Bader becomes the first person to ever look good in a bright blue bob.
The movie hit all the right notes emotionally and had that perfect kind of story that I thought had been lost in the 2000s. While it’s an ego boost to watch an intelligent, Oscar-nominated film that makes you contemplate life, sometimes it’s nice to sit down and watch a fun movie where the leads, predictably, confess their love and live happily ever after. Here’s to hoping the romcom genre is making its comeback.
