Rom-coms seem to be rare these days, and it’s even more difficult to find a good new release in the genre. However, People We Meet on Vacation has prompted me to believe rom-coms may be making a comeback.
For years, I have been returning to the Kate Hudson era of romantic comedies — a time with iconic outfits like her recognizable yellow satin dress from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, innovative plots like Valentine’s Day’s multiple love stories all at once, and sometimes bold, not-so-happy endings as seen in 500 Days of Summer. Such films are familiar and charming. Being filmed in a time free of dating apps, streaming and other dominant technological aspects of our current society, the love stories feel more natural. They are simple and nostalgic. And I think that’s what makes them so iconic: a good rom-com is one you never get tired of replaying. It is a movie you find comfort in over and over again — in the middle of a winter storm or after a draining week. Having already rewatched People We Meet on Vacation, I think it’s up to standard to become a beloved rom-com.
People We Meet on Vacation follows best friends Alex (Tom Blyth) and Poppy (Emily Bader) as they reunite every year to travel. I remember first loving the book in high school while tanning at a lake house in the South with my best friends. The Emily Henry book-verse as a whole makes up my favorite vacation pastimes – from Beach Read to Funny Story. Watching this adaptation, I know other Emily Henry books will likely thrive as movies too.
The film was a success on Netflix. Variety reported the movie had 17.2 million streams over its opening weekend. From Jan. 5 through Jan. 11, it was the number one film on its English-language Top 10 movie list.
In 2023, I remember waiting for another rom-com, Anyone but You, excited to finally have a movie of my favorite genre released in theaters. Despite an amazing first date together, Bea (Sydney Sweeney) slips out of Ben’s (Glen Powell) apartment and leaves him without a goodbye after overhearing his comments about her. Both quickly feel betrayed and despise each other, but they are later forced into proximity when Ben’s best friend and Bea’s sister get engaged. They head to Australia for the wedding, where they live together for a week and decide to pretend to be dating to help their relationships with other characters. But in the end, I was not impressed. I wanted to love it, as their characters play into the classic trope of fake dating, but it was hard to feel any sparks between them. I didn’t see a romance story worth investing in. Personally, I saw more chemistry between Powell and Sweeney in the months leading up to the movie’s release than I did written into the script or in their acting. People We Meet On Vacation, on the contrary, successfully utilizes another beloved trope: friends to lovers.
PWMOV is colorful, a little whimsical and cringey in the way you expect any rom-com to be. There are great visual elements, bold styling choices, and an enjoyable buildup, even if it ends with a predictable happy ending. The movie moves between timelines. We see Alex and Poppy’s first time meeting in college and the present where both have been estranged after a trip we don’t initially know much about. The flashbacks of their fun adventures are both chaotic and endearing. Their first trip to Canada is beautiful to watch with the rainy, foggy forest. Watching it, I fell in love again with the granola aesthetic of their camping time. More importantly, I think this trip is where were the movie starts to hint they will never be just friends. There are some hints of jealousy and acts of deep loyalty and care for one another. Every trip that follows elevates the plot and characters unfolding more characters, issues and chemistry.
After watching a movie, I have a bad habit of doomscrolling through TikTok to watch and read what others thought of it. For PWMOV, it seems many (myself included) love Poppy’s bold and unique character. Romance movies and books tend to have shy female leads, so Poppy felt like a refreshing change. She wants to see the world. She’s the type of girl who doesn’t like everything to be planned out. She’s a free spirit who’s not afraid to shove her face with a burrito – she’s carefree and uniquely her loud self throughout the entire movie. Alex’s character, on the other hand, at first, is a classic reserved man from the suburbs. He likes his hometown in Ohio. He has a long-distance girlfriend from high school. He is very punctual. He seems to find comfort in habits. Poppy is his complementary opposite. They build off the belief that opposites attract.
One of the movie’s most talked about parts is the duo’s trip to New Orleans. More specifically, you can turn to TikTok and hear people’s love of Poppy’s vibrant blue wig in the bar where they pretend to be newlyweds. They play into the bit, and Alex finally lets loose on the dance floor. Poppy plays “Forever Your Girl” by Paula Abdul, the bartender turns on a fun disco ball, and the electric ambiance of the scene takes over. Neon lights surround them, a new Alex emerges, and for the first time in the movie, there is an undeniable palpable attraction between them – a trade-off between her flamboyant self and his usually reserved character who becomes funny and brave when he is with her.
Rom-coms always have a formula to follow. The early 2000s are often seen as the golden age of rom-coms with beloved films like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Bridget Jones Diary, and 13 Going on 30. Now, I know People We Meet on Vacation is not at their level of success, but it deserves to be at least in the conversation of joining this pantheon of romantic comedy classics.
It’s one of the better rom-com releases in recent years. It shares a free-spirited, adventurous female lead for a change. It shows beautiful landscapes and settings with all the different trips Alex and Poppy embark on. It’s funny. Alex yearns for Poppy. There’s a love story that can make you, as a viewer, swoon and feel their connection. The romance is there. It made my roommate and I yell at times as we watched this together, because we were that connected to the characters. You can become that invested while watching. It pulls you in.
Given it was worth screaming over, I think it’s safe to say it’s definitely worth streaming. I recommend you do as I did and watch it with a best friend on a cold night-in when you want to be transported out of stressful times. Turn on your Netflix to see a funny, entertaining slow burn between two friends with opposing personalities who eventually figure they are more than just best friends.
