Summary
Poppy Wright is a New York City travel writer who spends her days hopping between airports and pretending her life is as glamorous as her Instagram grid. In reality, she is exhausted, a little lonely and very aware that something in her life feels off. When her friend David reminds her about his wedding in Barcelona, she suddenly realises this might be her chance to reconnect with Alex, his brother and her former best friend. They have not spoken in two years, but she calls him anyway and casually drops in that she will be at the wedding for “work reasons,” hoping he will take the bait. The movie jumps between past and present, showing how Poppy and Alex first met in college and accidentally bonded during a long road trip that involved questionable snacks, mild chaos and one very awkward shared hotel room. Their opposite personalities somehow clicked, turning them into the kind of friends who take yearly vacations together even though one of them packs like a minimalist monk and the other travels like she is fleeing the country.
Thoughts
Going into People We Meet On Vacation, I really wanted to love it, but comparing it to the novel makes that almost impossible. The movie tries to recreate the ‘grumpy x sunshine’ dynamic that made the book as charming as it is, but it never quite gets there. Instead of that cute contrast, it ends up feeling more like ‘normal guy x brat’, which is hard to watch as someone who adored Poppy and Tom’s relationship in the books. Because the movie lacked Poppy’s internal monologue, she just comes off as selfish sometimes, which is not how her character was in the novel at all. In the book, they have this intimate, lived-in friendship that makes every moment between them feel, not only deserved, but meaningful as well. On screen, that closeness is missing, and without it, the romance feels hollow. The humour also takes a hit. The book has this natural, witty flow that makes even the quieter scenes feel warm and funny. In the movie, some jokes land, but a lot of them just slide right past without impact. There are moments that should be charming or sweet, but the timing is off or the delivery feels awkward, so the scene ends up falling flat. It is not that the cast is bad, because both leads have their moments, but the script does not give them the same spark or rhythm the book had. The thing I struggled with the most is the lack of chemistry between the leads. As friends, they work. They have an easy, casual vibe that feels believable. But when the movie tries to shift that into romance, it never fully clicks. The emotional tension that should build between them feels muted, and the big romantic beats do not hit with the weight they need to.
Recommendation
I recommend it for those that haven’t read the book, or really adore rom-com movies. If you are really attached to the book version, do not watch this movie or you may be really disappointed.
