Emily Henry’s first-ever movie adaptation, People We Meet on Vacation, is now a major Netflix hit. Based on the 2021 book of the same name, the story follows college best friends Poppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth), who go on an annual trip in the last decade. However, they become estranged after one of their vacations turned into a disaster, leading up to a final trip to patch up their friendship.
After releasing on Netflix, People We Meet on Vacation is already the no. 1 movie on its streaming charts. It beats out Evil Influencer (no. 2), The Bad Guys (no. 3), Soul on Fire (no. 4), and KPop Demon Hunters (no. 5).
Henry’s first adaptation became one of the most anticipated 2026 movies ahead of its release. The author quickly became popular on BookTok during the pandemic, as her 2020 book, Beach Read, turned into a New York Times bestseller. People We Meet on Vacation also became a bestseller a year later and would attract Netflix to adapt the story.
Netflix took big steps by casting Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Blyth and My Lady Jane’s Bader. Brett Haley helms as the director, with Yulin Kuang, Amos Vernon, and Nunzio Randazzo writing the screenplay.
The Netflix movie’s streaming hit also came with critical success. Just ahead of its release, the first reviews of People We Meet on Vacation were generally positive about the adaptation, praising the performances from the leading duo and its throwback to classic rom-coms. Currently, the film holds a 79% score on Rotten Tomatoes, while the audience is equally impressed, leading to an 83% Popcornmeter.
Even before the Netflix movie’s release, four more Henry books are already in development, including Beach Read and Book Lovers. Her work has easily become one of the most sought-after materials for the big screen, and the streaming success of People We Meet on Vacation is a big win for the author’s first adaptation.
It seems that Netflix may have sensed this potential, as the studio recently confirmed that it is developing Funny Story and Happy Place. While Henry was an executive producer for People We Meet on Vacation, she will be involved with writing the screenplay for the subsequent two movies. Now, with this stunning reception, it may just be the beginning of a new partnership.
People We Meet on Vacation is now streaming on Netflix.
- Release Date
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January 8, 2026
- Runtime
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109 minutes
- Director
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Brett Haley
