People We Meet on Vacation

cute on the outside, but secretly it’s about something deeper: how a person can feel most like themselves on holiday, and how hard it is to bring that version of you back into real life. ​ The intro honestly hooked me because it’s so relatable and playful - like, look at all the random things that can happen on a vacation, and how you become this more outgoing version of yourself. But what I loved even more was the outro, because by the end I realised the film isn’t only about travel… it’s about what we’re actually chasing when we travel so much. So the main reason the movie works is the leads: Alex and Poppy are complete opposites, and the film sets that up in a fun, simple way (even early moments like the traffic jam + burrito situation tells you the whole dynamic). Poppy is loud, expressive, impulsive, super outgoing - she says what she feels and she moves fast. Alex is calm and quiet, the kind of person who thinks for a second before speaking, reserved but emotional in a way you can literally see on his face. And the best part is: you actually see Alex changing because of his friendship with Poppy - he starts opening up because of her. Even when things get dramatic, the movie keeps this cheerful vibe because it keeps throwing in fun, awkward moments, so it never becomes heavy in a boring way. Their chemistry also makes it genuinely cute, not cringe-cute. One of my favourite comedy bits is that scene where Alex is talking to Mr. Wright and Mr. Wright misunderstands Alex’s fear of flying as… something else, and it’s so stupid-funny. And of course, “vacation Alex” getting his clothes washed away by the sea is exactly the kind of chaos that makes the film feel like a proper holiday story. Now, structure-wise, the movie is split between the present summer and the previous summers, and I really liked that. In the past timeline, you see them becoming close in this easy, best-friends way, and in the present timeline it’s suddenly weird - like they’ll be formal, they won’t call properly, and there’s always this awkwardness hanging in the air. That contrast makes you curious the whole time, because you’re like: how did these two go from that close to this? And when they meet again after that distance, it honestly feels like they’re rediscovering each other all over again. Also I have to say: the film looks beautiful. It’s so colourful, the locations are lovely, and the colours feel vibrant in a way that makes the movie feel more “alive,” so I’d genuinely ask you to notice the cinematography Please! ( Thanks ! ) There’s a point where they kind of confront the “can we go back to how we were?” thing, but for me the first time it happens it doesn’t hit that hard - because the film is still keeping you in the dark. Like, you don’t fully know what the hell happened in Tuscany yet, so as an audience you’re missing information. Later, when the second confrontation happens, it lands way more because now you actually understand their past and the emotional damage behind the tension. In the present, you also catch these small moments where Alex is clearly jealous when he sees Poppy with someone else. It’s not shouted out loud, it’s just there - and that’s what I liked, because it feels real. And honestly I kept thinking: is it his ego, is it fear, is it him trying to protect himself? - because somehow he ends up hurting Poppy, even though you can also tell he has feelings he’s been holding in for way too long. Then when you finally think, “Okay, great, now everything will go right,” Poppy is the one who shocks you. In her own way she’s not wrong, but she’s confused, and there were parts where I didn’t agree with her choices - because it felt like she was still hiding behind “vacation Poppy” instead of facing real life. But I also liked that she figures it out: she realises she doesn’t need more vacations from her life, she needs a life, and goes after what matters ! And yes - the moment with her boss where she’s just standing there, barely doing anything, but you can feel what she’s thinking? That’s where the music score quietly helps a lot, because the timing is perfect and it pushes you into her head without making it dramatic. By the end, I was genuinely happy with how it closes out - romantic, a little messy, and still funny in a human way (including the whole “she hates running but still runs/chases” thing). Overall, I think it’s a great film, and it kept me invested in a way I honestly don’t feel that often with new-gen rom-coms. I also liked that even if it reminds you of other recent rom-coms you enjoyed, it still feels different because it’s really about friendship, time, and what we’re running toward - not just a cute couple doing cute things.