Does Chemistry Travel Well? A Review of People We Meet On Vacation
By Cara Collins
WARNING: SPOILERS
One of my favourite tropes in media is sunshine girlfriend versus grumpy boyfriend, and the film adaptation of Emily Henry’s People We Meet On Vacation encapsulates this perfectly (for the most part). The novel focuses on excitable extrovert Poppy Wright (Emily Bader) and the brooding realist Alex Nilsen (Tom Blyth).
After seeing Blyth in A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, I worried (as a fan of the book) that the character of Alex would be misunderstood as some unredeemable, cocky character. However, Blyth played the character perfectly, bringing the vision I had of Alex to life. I was also a big fan of Bader’s performance in My Lady Jane and went into the film sure that her comedic timing would work for Poppy’s character in the book. As someone who commonly feels “too much”, the adaptation of Poppy’s character made the extravagance of being an extrovert so cool. With witty jokes, outfits that I would kill to wear myself and an element of insecurity, I loved how she was portrayed.
The soundtrack of films is always an important detail that decides if I love a film or not, for this film it felt as though it was pulled straight from one of my own playlists. With songs like ‘Genesis’ by Grimes, ‘Cool About It’ by Boygenius and ‘August’ by Taylor Swift, The soundtrack captured such a unique feel of being 20 and navigating through college, and the songs that follow you through the rest of your twenties.
The dynamic of the two actors was something that initially concerned me. However, I found that it was easy to believe that the relationship portrayed was one that had lived through so many different iterations.
The beauty of the film was something that really appealed to me. I find Emily Henry’s books to be ones that are very focused on setting and light, and I felt that the vibe of the film was spot on. The warmth was felt through the screen, the excitement and buzz that can only be felt while on holiday.
While overall enjoying the film, the slight mischaracterisation of the characters was frustrating. The writing of Alex I found slightly off, with many of his imperative moments either changed or taken out. In the book it always felt that the death of his mother affects his all his relationships but, in the film, that felt brushed over. The proposal scene, in particular, I thought, was done poorly. The vacations are the highlight of each character’s year, for Alex to propose on one was completely against what book Alex would do (who didn’t propose).
Despite this, I still was able to enjoy the film, seeing the characters as a new version of their book selves.
Overall, if you’re looking for a fun and easy watch, this is a film I would recommend. It left me feeling a buzz of excitement for my future vacations and emphasised the importance of a good holiday as an escape that brings friends together and, in Poppy and Alex’s case, back together.
★ ★ ★ ★
Photo Credit: Michele K. Short/Netflix
