Earlier this month, Netflix released the film adaptation of “People We Meet on Vacation,” based on the novel by popular author Emily Henry. 

The movie features Emily Bader as Poppy and Tom Blyth as Alex, two young adults who end up becoming vacation buddies after a rough start, in an “opposites attract” kind of way. After going on week-long vacations together every summer for several years, something happens between the pair that leads to a very awkward reunion at a wedding. 

Rom-coms are back, but is this one for better or worse?

You can’t have a rom-com without some clichés, of course. That’s what makes them what they are after all. Fortunately, this movie has some of the classics. Opposites attract and enemies-to- lovers, big dramatic gestures and kissing in the rain; it’s all there! I’m not much for clichés myself, but for those who do love them, you will not be disappointed.

Something else to love about this movie is the costumes.

Bader looked incredible in all her outfits, which also served her free-spirited character. The movie just looks amazing, as it should, given it was filmed in beautiful locations, including New Orleans and Spain. In an age where so many movies rely on green or blue screens for the background, thank goodness this film was filmed on location. 

Another huge necessity for rom-coms is the chemistry of the main leads. We’ve all probably seen at least one movie where the main couple just didn’t seem to have any actual chemistry, but that isn’t a problem for this movie.

While it seems impossible not to have chemistry with Blyth, he and Bader get to play the adorable dynamic of strangers to friends, to eventual lovers. They are opposites for the majority of the movie, and while that hurts the dynamic in some ways, it really helps them grow, not only together but separately.

I have to mention Sarah Hook as Sarah, who is the off-again-on-again girlfriend of Alex. She is probably one of the most refreshingly written female characters. She doesn’t act jealous or resentful of Alex and Poppy’s relationship; she is trusting and supportive, and best of all, she’s mature and understanding. She isn’t written as the enemy, which is so nice. 

There are some things I didn’t like, a majority being how different the leads are for most of the movie, just for them to act like they’re wrong for wanting different things. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to travel and not settle down, or vice versa. It would have been nice if they made it work without one of them having to change a fundamental aspect of themselves, but that’s not the rom-com way, so I understand. 

Also, the time jumps are a bit much. Not that there’s a lot, but they do make it very obvious when one is going to happen, which is actually quite funny. 

Going into this not as a rom-com person, I think this movie is actually a fun watch. You get to see a really sweet friendship turn into attraction, and I think it’s refreshing to see the two main characters were friends for so long. If this is your genre, check it out on Netflix or Henry’s books for more.