Film Review – Individuals We Encounter on Vacation (2026)

      People We Meet on Vacation, 2026.

      Directed by Brett Haley.

      Starring Emily Bader, Tom Blyth, Sarah Catherine Hook, Jameela Jamil, Lucien Laviscount, Lukas Gage, Miles Heizer, Alan Ruck, Molly Shannon, Tommy Do, Alice Lee, Spencer Neville, Ian Porter, Madeleine Akua, John Jabaley, and Bethany Anne Lind.

      SYNOPSIS:

      Poppy is eager to travel the world, while Alex would rather stay home and read, yet they share a deep friendship. Despite living far apart, they have managed to spend one week of summer vacation together every year for the past ten years. The trope of mismatched personalities destined for romance is a staple of rom-coms and, in Brett Haley’s adaptation of Emily Henry's novel, People We Meet on Vacation, this theme is evident from the start. The film, scripted by Yulin Kuang, Amos Vernon, and Nunzio Randazzo, adheres to this formula but adds a twist by incorporating the vacation element, which tends to influence the characters' personalities while maintaining the genre's comforting and beloved conventions.

      Poppy (Emily Bader) works as a journalist who frequently travels the globe for work vacations, focusing more on leisure than the job itself. Having faced relentless bullying in her small hometown as a teenager, leading to a distorted reputation after an innocent encounter spiraled into damaging rumors, she feels little attachment to her roots. This drives her to seek escapism through travel, where she can reinvent herself amidst strangers. However, Poppy remains uncertain about her writing direction on these extravagant trips, experiencing a fleeting sense of freedom but returning to an unsatisfying life filled with unresolved questions. Her plans take a turn when she learns about a wedding that will bring her back together with Alex (Tom Blyth), her best friend for eight years, with whom she has spent countless summers in a platonic friendship. Throughout their friendship, both have been involved in various on-and-off relationships, which prevented them from exploring a potential romantic connection.

      Initially reluctant to attend the wedding, Poppy eventually convinces herself to go, which prompts flashbacks of key moments in her friendship with Alex, illustrating their initial meeting and how their vacations have shaped their relationship. Alex, more pragmatic and focused on his university studies, is portrayed as somewhat uptight, but Poppy encourages him to relax and be adventurous. Poppy’s lifestyle, consumed by vacations, has also distorted her view of everyday life. Instead of pushing one character towards complete transformation, the filmmakers leverage the vacation theme to guide the characters towards a healthier balance.

      Surprisingly, the film succeeds despite its predictable elements and some overtly telegraphed jokes and vacation mishaps. People We Meet on Vacation features a unique structure that uses flashbacks to reveal a pivotal moment that changed their relationship forever, steering clear of typical wedding chaos scenes. Moreover, the filmmakers keep the drama grounded, allowing both Poppy and Alex to come across as relatable individuals with genuine issues, serving as a refreshing contrast to the broader comedic aspects.

      The chemistry and charm of the performances elevate the familiarity of the plot. People We Meet on Vacation is both a nostalgic rom-com and one that cleverly utilizes its clichés, even appealing to more skeptical viewers; it effectively employs the genre's playbook.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Robert Kojder