Netflix’s newest book-to-film adaptation has recently dropped on January 9, 2026, based on Emily Henry’s popular book “People We Meet on Vacation.” The book and movie follow the main character, Poppy Wright (played by Emily Bader) and her best friend Alex Nilsen (played by Tom Blyth). Despite being friends, Poppy and Alex are complete opposites. Poppy is an ambitious, energetic travel journalist for a magazine, while Alex is a cautious, responsible high school English teacher who plans everything to the minute. When they carpooled together to Ohio after their freshman year of The University of Chicago, they both decided to take a vacation every summer after college. Their tradition lasts 10 years until along the way, they end up not speaking for two years until Alex’s brother, David, gets married in Palm Springs and invites Poppy. When the best friends start to talk again, Poppy convinces Alex to spend one last vacation with her, but feelings occur while rekindling those old flames.
The movie is inspired by the book and captures its essence, but there are many differences between the 2021 book and the 2026 movie. A good example was when in the movie, Poppy and Alex did not attend the University of Chicago, but instead, they attended Boston University. Additionally, the book shows Alex’s brother’s wedding in Palm Springs, while the location is changed to Barcelona in the movie. Appearance changes, such as different hair colors from those implied in the book, are also present in the production. In the book, Poppy has blonde hair while in the movie, her hair color is brown. Despite these altercations, viewers still love Bader as Poppy, and many have also expressed their love for Tom Blyth as Alex. On social media, countless posts showcase support for him due to his attractive appeal, charisma, and blueish-grey eyes–a trait fans have gotten lost in during his screentime and interviews. Blyth has quickly become loved by fans as edits of him in the movie, and with Bader, have been trending on TikTok.
When it comes to reviews, many fans are saying the movie is similar to a 2000s rom-com, as cheesy and cute scenes are depicted throughout the film. Fans most likely feel this way because the movie has scenes that you would expect in a rom-com. On top of that, it has a popular love confession scene in the rain that really screams 2000s rom-com. Many fans also agree that the chemistry between Poppy and Alex in the movie is outstanding, as both actors capture their characters well. Not only is the movie well-loved, but it has also gotten 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, showing that many critics enjoyed it.
Even though the “People We Meet on Vacation” movie is not as accurate to the book, many fans love the casting, the scenes, the acting, and the vibes it encompasses. It truly seems that the approval from the audience signals great success for Emily Henry’s other film adaptations. This includes “Beach Read,” “Book Lovers,” “Happy Place,” and “Funny Story,” which are currently in the works. So, “People We Meet on Vacation” is a good movie, especially for rom-com lovers!
