People we meet on holidays. (L-R) Emily Bader as Poppy and Tom Blythe as Alex in People We Meet on Vacation. Ten million. Daniel Escale/Netflix © 2026
From 3000 Pictures and Temple Hill Entertainment, People we meet on holidays It is the highly anticipated adaptation of author Emily Henry’s New York Times bestselling romance novel of the same name (read the beach), the first adaptation of one of his novels to be made into a feature film, with several other books optioned for future productions.
Adapted for the screen by Yulin Kuang, Amos Vernon, and Nunzio Randazzo, the story follows an unlikely pair of friends, Poppy and Alex, as they navigate their contrasting personalities to get closer as friends; In fact, after a road trip to their Ohio hometown and a successful Canadian camping trip, the two become vacation friends for life as they make a pact to meet at some new destination around the world every summer for a week-long vacation. No matter where they are in life or who they’re with, Poppy and Alex always make time for their special time…that is, until about 2 years ago.
But when Alex’s brother invites them both to his destination wedding in Barcelona, Poppy decides to cancel her latest travel writing assignment and try to come to terms with the fallout from her last trip. After nearly a decade of friendship and jet setting, can free-spirited Poppy and routine-loving Alex repair their relationship and potentially take it to a new level they haven’t discovered yet?
Well, as we all know and Emily Henry knows too, when harry met sally taught us that “men and women cannot be friends because no man can be friends with a woman he finds attractive”, but its structure People we meet on holidays At least that should let us forget about it until we need it or we don’t care about it.
Directed by the emotionally in-tune and often sentimental Brett Haley (all the bright spots, hearts beat louder), this film gives us an updated, sun-filled and cozy look at what home looks like in a modern relationship, especially when you don’t often feel at home.
We see the film largely through the eyes of Poppy, played with a charming level of bounce and beauty by “My Lady Jane” star Emily Bader, as she slowly uncovers her true identity hidden behind her indomitable need for the new: a vulnerable woman who lives in fear of overstaying her welcome.
At her most relatable, Poppy embodies a candid version of what many of us felt or felt like in our late 20s/early 30s – like you’re running out of gas, like you need to transition into real adulthood or transform into a better, more settled version of yourself but you only have a vague sense of what that looks like or how to get there. But perhaps, for the lucky ones, you have room to touch the grass when you fly too close to the sun. To Poppy, she’s not a place like her hometown in Ohio or her NY apartment, subconsciously and sometimes actively it’s Alex. While Alex gets the more practical end of the bug by responsibly living in her late 20s with a house and an HVAC system that needs fixing, she’s also eager to make a house a real home with the right person, who she also knows as Poppy.
Ten million. Daniel Eskel/Netflix © 2025
on its surface and in its structure, People we meet on holidays It gives us a mystery to solve, an autopsy to determine the cause of death. How could these two people who had such great chemistry and so much fun be so far apart right now? We probably know the answer pretty quickly, but Bader and Tom Blythe (Hunger Games franchise) as Alex mask our need for a quick answer with their charm; Creating a dance routine in New Orleans or losing clothes in the ocean while skinny-dipping in Canada. This works great for us because those answers are the best part of the story. Home, as an individual; Home, as a place to return to after work or holidays; Home is the only place where you feel your true self. This may seem strange or crazy to some people, but it certainly rings truer than other romantic notions.
Ironically, or possibly by design, the movie feels like all the elements of a real vacation: the warm inviting locales, the highest altitude, the excitement of the new, the joy of spending time with the people you want to be with, the cool breeze of reality upon return, and the excitement of anticipation knowing you’ll get to do it all again soon.
people you meet on holidays This may not all be as consciously practical as it sounds, but its message is clear and compelling when it matters most.
If you want, see the people we meet on holidays
- when harry met sally
- up in the air
- “I ship it”
- all the bright spots
- hearts beat louder
MVP of People we meet on holidays
Emily Bader as Poppy
Like Shaquille O’Neal to Christian Wood, I wasn’t familiar with Emily Bader’s game.
“My Lady Jane” and Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin may be off my radar, but I absolutely see what director Brett Haley and his team saw in Emily Bader as a perfect casting for Poppy in this film. Her boundless energy, girl-next-door beauty, and sheer magnetism permeate the film with a presence you’ll want to keep in your carry-on and take with you wherever you go.
One of the better “Beach Read” romances that should satisfy fans of the genre. Bader and Blythe make a believable “opposites attract” duo while having the time of their lives. Almost too good for January.