People We Meet on Vacation

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2:24

People We Meet on Vacation

PG-13

2026

1h 57m

Romance

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

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67 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Free-spirited Poppy (Emily Bader) and routine-loving Alex (Tom Blyth) have been unlikely best friends for a decade, living in different cities but spending every summer vacation together. The careful balance of their friendship is put to the test when they begin to question what has been obvious to everyone else -- could they actually be the perfect romantic match?

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Critics Consensus

People We Meet on Vacation is a breezy adaptation that boasts charming leads in Tom Blyth and Emily Bader, delivering a romantic endeavor worth staying for.

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Caroline Siede

AV Club

Jan 15

C-

While recent winners like All Of You have proven there’s still juice in the classic friends-to-lovers template, watching People We Meet On Vacation feels more like ordering a sparkling tropical cocktail and getting served tap water.

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

Jan 14

3/4

A strong supporting cast — Lukas Gage, Molly Shannon, Sarah Catherine Hook, Jameela Jamil and Lucien Laviscount – ups the entertainment value. Since rom-coms have been a bit blah of late, this one will satisfy that itch even if it’s no gamechanger.

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Linda Holmes

Pop Culture Happy Hour (NPR Podcast)

Jan 12

If you put this on, on a weekend afternoon, you will be fine. It is pleasant to watch. But the things that made the book special, I think, are almost impossible to preserve in a two-hour movie.

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Hayley Croke

Loud and Clear Reviews

Mar 9

3/5

While the film successfully brings Henry’s charming and vibrant world to life, it struggles to make itself memorable beyond its runtime.

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Nuha Hassan

Nuha Hassan (Medium)

Jan 30

People We Meet on Vacation portrays the feeling of exploring the world with people we love and dealing with the painful part of falling in love. It’s scary, but it’s all worth it in the end.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Jan 26

2.5/4

...a mostly affable romcom that receives plenty of mileage out of Bader and Blyth’s terrific, charismatic efforts...

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D. M

@RT48759227 1d

After reading the book, i had very high expectations for the movie when i saw Netflix drop the trailer. Poppy and Alex literally fell right through the book into real life and their chemistry was amazing except, my expectations were cut short when i realised how rushed the movie was. There were so many important scenes from the book that wasn't added in and so little screen time for some of the characters, like what Alex experienced behind closed doors with Sarah and Poppy with her boyfriends. Poppy's Boss Swapna fit her role so well and she was sooo beautiful, i wish there was more screen time with her too. I didn't like how the scenes were changed and i hated that Sarah and Alex were highschool sweethearts when in the book, they weren't. The actor & actress playing Poppy & Alex were too good to do this to.

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Mike B

@mrgusington 2d

Even though I didn't like the book all that much it gave me an immediate understanding of the characters, therefore I appreciated this movie more than I would have otherwise. Essentially the only part of the book I enjoyed was the last 10%, and the movie didn't capture that but improved many of the earlier parts of the story. Most of the changes made for the movie were an improvement and overall I liked this much better than the book. They basically just need to flip the movie ending and the book ending to tie things off a little better.

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Penny S

@PennySoph00 4d

I love Emily Henry and I enjoyed this adaptation of her book - there were parts missing but the actors made up for it with their great performances. Romcoms are so back!

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Nikki G

@RT38151437 5d

This is a feel good movie made enjoyable through the authenticity of the leads’ chemistry. I’ve watched it more than once and find it to be one of my favorites on Netflix,

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Pedro Henrique C

@Pedro2005 5d

People We Meet on Vacation (2026) Good is a romance film with a touch of comedy that you can watch any day of the week to relax your mind for 1 hour and 55 minutes.

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James E.

@JamesE167 Mar 27

A classic friends to lovers movie that isn’t very original but is still fun and easy to turn on.

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Brett Haley

Director

Emily Bader

Poppy

Tom Blyth

Alex

Sarah Catherine Hook

Sarah

Lucien Laviscount

Trey

Miles Heizer

David

Meg Ryan is THE Rom-Com Leading Lady

0:44

Recreating the Cover of People We Meet on Vacation

1:03

The Stars of ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ on Filming on a Nude Beach

15:25

People We Meet on Vacation: Trailer 1

2:24

People We Meet on Vacation: Teaser Trailer

1:11

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Synopsis

Free-spirited Poppy (Emily Bader) and routine-loving Alex (Tom Blyth) have been unlikely best friends for a decade, living in different cities but spending every summer vacation together. The careful balance of their friendship is put to the test when they begin to question what has been obvious to everyone else -- could they actually be the perfect romantic match?

Director: Brett Haley
Producer: Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner
Screenwriter: Yulin Kuang, Amos Vernon, Nunzio Randazzo
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Sony Pictures Releasing, Temple Hill Entertainment, 3000 Pictures, Netflix Studios
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 9, 2026
Runtime: 1h 57m
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

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