Netflix has dropped the teaser trailer for the adaptation of Emily Henry’s People We Meet On Vacation, and the minute-long preview has a lot to unpack. While the teaser we’re given leaves a lot to the imagination, we can expect to see adventure, thrill, and angst.
Our main character, Poppy, is an outgoing, loud-dressed travel writer for a magazine. Her travel companion is her straight-edged best friend, Alex, a high school English teacher. When we are introduced to these characters, it is after an unknown conflict caused a two-year friendship fallout.
When Poppy realizes the last time she felt happy was when she and Alex were on speaking terms, she concocts a plan to convince him to come along on an all-expenses-paid trip. However, this trip was not approved by her boss. This serves as the central conflict, as Poppy has to budget for the trip without Alex’s knowledge.
As we follow Poppy and Alex on their current vacation, they dodge heat strokes and, of course, meet new people. In between sequence of events, we get flashbacks of their yearly vacations from the last nine years before their reunion. This moves the plot along to eventually answer the novel’s lingering question of what happened on their last trip to cause a rift in their friendship.
What To Expect From the Film
The leading roles will be played by Tom Blyth and Emily Bader. The pair perfectly encapsulates the contrasting personalities of Poppy and Alex, which we see in the opening scene of the trailer. The adventure seeker is singing aloud at baggage claim, with Alex quietly staring at her from behind. There is a slight pause of shock and secret yearning when the two lock eyes.
We get a tiny glimpse of the pair’s dynamic when they are asked if they are a couple. In awkward unison, they reply that they are, “just friends,” which shows what the driving trope is.
Based on the subtle flashes from the trailer and teaser photos, New Orleans and Barcelona are two settings we can expect to see the couple cause trouble in.
The film will be released on Netflix on January 9, 2026, but it isn’t the only Henry novel being adapted. Five of her six novels have been picked up by production companies to transition from the page to the screen. Screenwriter and director Yulin Kuang will be behind the wheel of the film versions of both People We Meet On Vacation and Beach Read. For her 2024 novel, Funny Story, Henry herself will be turning the bestselling romcom into a script.
This adaptation list is a major win for fans of the author, but especially lovers of romantic comedy. Her love interests are adoring and easy root for. Henry’s strength is creating two characters and convincing the audience why they are meant to be.
Outside of the romance, the subplots of her books bring a relatability that is a breath of fresh air. Each of her characters are brought with distinct adversities that make it possible for anyone to see themselves in. We are all excited to see them onscreen soon!
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