People We Meet on Vacation (available on Netflix) is one of those movies you put on thinking it’ll just be background noise — something cozy, something light — and then suddenly you’re paying way more attention than you expected.

It’s based on Emily Henry’s book, but even if you haven’t read it, the story feels familiar in that oh, I know this feeling kind of way. It’s about Poppy and Alex, two people who don’t really make sense – but somehow make sense together. She’s loud, curious, always chasing the next thing. He’s quiet, steady, and perfectly fine staying where he is. Once a year, they go on vacation together. Just friends. Until… well, you know how these things go.

It’s Less About Travel and More About Everything Else

Yes, the movie takes you to beautiful places. Beaches, cities, sunsets that look like postcards. But the travel is really just a backdrop. What actually matters is what happens when you spend that kind of time with someone who knows you a little too well.

Vacations have a way of speeding things up emotionally. You talk more. You joke more. You also accidentally say things you’ve been avoiding all year. Both in movies and real life. People We Meet on Vacation understands that. Some of the best scenes are just Poppy and Alex sitting around, talking about nothing important and everything important at the same time.

It feels very real — like trips you’ve taken where the memories aren’t about where you went, but who you were with and what you didn’t say out loud.

The Complicated Comfort of “Almost”

This movie lives in the gray area. The “are we just friends or not?” space. The kind of relationship where everyone else sees it before you admit it to yourself.

Poppy and Alex care about each other deeply, but they’re also scared of ruining something that feels safe. That tension runs through the whole movie. It’s not dramatic or explosive — it’s awkward and sometimes frustrating. Which honestly makes it more relatable. Why? Because real life usually isn’t about big romantic gestures. It’s about timing that never quite lines up. It’s about liking someone when one of you isn’t ready. Or both of you aren’t.

Why I liked the Movie

This isn’t a movie that leaves you sobbing or jumping up and down. It’s the kind of movie that makes you think about people from your past. Old trips. Old friendships. The “what ifs” you packed away because they felt too complicated at the time.

People We Meet on Vacation is sweet without being cheesy, emotional without being heavy. It’s about friendship, comfort, and how sometimes the most important relationships in our lives start without us realizing what they’re becoming.

It’s also a movie about realizing that the person who feels most like home might not fit into the life you imagined for yourself — at least not at first.

And honestly, it’s the perfect movie to watch when you want something warm, familiar, and just a little bit too relatable.

Maybe that’s why it lingers.