“People We Meet on Vacation” is Netflix’s newest film, giving the audience not only bright yellow Barcelonian beaches, but the duo of Alex Nilson and Poppy Wright, whose first interactions are in a suitcase-stuffed car during a sudden road trip–the first of many.
Brett Haley’s adaptation of Emily Henry’s New York Times bestseller “People We Meet on Vacation” is a witty, adventurous rom-com featuring Tom Blyth and Emily Bader playing the classic friends-to-lovers narrative as Alex and Poppy. Poppy is your quirky, wild girl always looking for adventure. Alex is the type of guy wanting to stay rooted in his hometown. And aside from Poppy’s loud personality and Alex’s undecorated one, that’s their biggest difference.
These two characters are polar opposites when they first meet in a road trip from Boston College to their hometown of Linfield, Ohio. Despite their differences, at one point during their road trip Alex and Poppy create a pact: meet every summer to go on a trip someplace in the world. The movie shows us their past summers in Canada, New Orleans and Tuscany. Between each of these happy moments shown on screen, we’re brought to their present interactions in Barcelona–stiff, awkward and rough. But as time goes on, the audience will learn why. The past catches up to the present moments as the film approaches its last scenes.
As Alex and Poppy grow together through these summers, it’s admirable to see how they mold into each other’s personalities—they’ve grown into each other, even though they started off so different.
However, it’s worth mentioning that the movie’s plot felt rushed. As a viewer, the jumps from Canadian wilderness to Barcelonian nights were too quick.
But the vibrant and lively New Orleans scene made up for this issue. Combining my favorite elements from the movie, I absolutely adored the music, coloring and choices the director made during this scene. Hearing “I Feel Like Funkin’ It Up” by Rebirth Brass Band’s in the background while Alex and Poppy ran through the streets of New Orleans allowed me to embrace the charm of the city on screen as I watched from Ohio.
Beyond New Orleans, the yellow hues found in their Italian summers and Spanish nights were phenomenal, bringing these scenes to life. All of the music choices were enjoyable as well–Paula Abdul’s “Forever Your Girl,” Robyn’s “Hang With Me” and boygenius’s “Cool About It” allowed me to take in the emotions of the scenes.
Is “People We Meet on Vacation” worth the watch? If you love adventure, travel and lively music, I would say yes. “People We Meet on Vacation” captures the richness behind personal growth and summer magic, welcoming you to a mini-vacation away from the current snowy season.
