Emily Henry’s first book-to-film adaptation, People We Meet on Vacation, has officially arrived — and it does not disappoint.
The movie, which premiered on Netflix Friday, January 9, is based on Henry’s 2021 novel and follows free-spirited, spontaneous Poppy (Emily Bader) and tight-laced, reserved Alex (Tom Blyth) after they connect on a trip home to Ohio during college break. Their opposite-attract dynamic sparks and unlikely friendship, and the pair become travel buddies, promising to vacation together once a year no matter the circumstances. But as life becomes more complicated, so do their feelings, threatening to throw their entire relationship off balance.
Warning: Spoilers below for People We Meet on Vacation.
“It’s surreal,” Henry exclusively told Us Weekly at the film’s Los Angeles premiere in January 2025 of seeing her work come to life on screen. “It’s really cool and magical but, also, I’m just so proud of everybody who worked on [it]. Because this is really their baby. I have the book. I love the book. I’ll always be proud of the book, but they made something really special that I feel like takes the book and then does some new stuff with it, too.”
Everything to Know About ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ Netflix Adaptation
Bader, meanwhile, wanted to make sure things from the bestselling novel stayed preserved.
“I think that when they meet in the car, it’s obviously something that really mattered to Emily Henry that’s referencing some of the greatest rom-coms of all time,” Bader told Us. “So that was a tough one that we really wanted to nail. But for me, I think [also] the climax of Poppy and Alex in the rain was something that we really wanted to nail because it’s obviously where everything comes either crumbling down, or they build something. So that was important.”
As for Blyth, the Hunger Games star was focused on doing something light-hearted and hopeful after making a name for himself by playing dark, more tortured roles.
“I think we can take ourselves really seriously sometimes. And I certainly have been guilty of that at times,” he shared. “And I think it’s really worthwhile to do something fun once in a while and remind yourself that what we do for a living is playful and fun and a luxury and to lean into that. Lean into the love.”
People We Meet on Vacation is streaming on Netflix now. Keep scrolling for Poppy and Alex’s ending explained:
Do Poppy and Alex End Up Together in ‘People We Meet on Vacation’?
This is a rom-com people — of course they do! They don’t make it easy on themselves, though, but the wait is totally worth it.
After a years-long estrangement following a fallout in Italy revolving around Alex’s engagement to Sarah (Sarah Catherine Hook) — and a seriously sexually charged moment in a windy street about a pregnancy scare — Alex and Poppy reunite for Alex’s brother David’s (Miles Heizer) wedding in Spain.
While the initial reunion is awkward — and that’s putting it lightly — the pair eventually reconcile and Poppy learns that Alex and Sarah have since called it quits. A drunken rehearsal dinner leads to them kissing in the rain and sleeping together. While the next day is filled with romance as they watch David say “I do,” the relationship quickly spoils when Alex tries to make plans and Poppy simply wants to live in the moment.
Alex ultimately declares they are too different for things to work out between them and goes back to Ohio. Miserable, Poppy flies home to NYC ruminating on their argument. She realizes the only way she’s going to be happy is if she quits her job and finds Alex. In a major rom-com movie moment, she travels back to Ohio — her most loathed place on earth — to find him. When he doesn’t answer his doorbell, she catches him going for a run, and to her utmost chagrin, begins to chase him down at full speed.
When she finally catches up to him, she (breathlessly) confesses her love and tells him that he is where “home” is. The twosome share a passionate and romantic kiss in the middle of the street. The film ends with Poppy and Alex both in her NYC apartment, cooking dinner and playing with their new dog.
Does ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ Have a Post-Credits Scene?
No, there is no post-credits scene in People We Meet on Vacation. Sorry!
Lukas Gage Shares Major Teaser About ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ Character
Will There Be a ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ Sequel?
While People We Meet on Vacation doesn’t have a confirmed sequel — the movie or the book — it’s just the first of Emily Henry’s novels that is slated to get the movie adaptation treatment. Funny Story, Book Lovers, Beach Read and Happy Place are all set to come to the big screen.
And while Poppy and Alex’s main love story is likely over, they do pop up in Henry’s other books. In Funny Story, they’re seen kayaking, and are even referenced in Happy Place. Does this mean Emily Bader and Tom Blyth might be making cameos in Henry’s future films? We’ll have to wait and see!
