Coming from an Emily Henry fan, who is the author of the book People We Meet on Vacation, this was a highly anticipated release for me, and luckily, it popped up on Netflix right when I was home with the flu, perfect timing. I was able to escape my deathly flu illness to go on a non-stop tropical vacation for a mere 1 hour and 49 minutes.
If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, People We Meet on Vacation (2026) is about best friends Poppy and Alex, who have a decade-long tradition of spending one week of summer vacation together, going to a new place every summer.
Initially, when the trailer came out, I was skeptical. As an avid romcom watcher, my hopes for the genre have gone down over the years, especially since it feels like a lot of the movies these days have “Netflix lighting” and lack chemistry between characters. If you’ve never heard the phrase “Netflix lighting” before, nofilmschool describes it as “[when] shadow detail is lifted, contrast is softened, and exposure becomes uniform across the frame.” It essentially is when filmmakers are more focused on high-tech equipment and having everything being visible, but in turn gets rid of the texture and cinematography that makes movies feel more personal and homey. And seeing that this movie was in fact a Netflix original, I was worried that one of my favorite reads had become none other than a “Netflix lighting” movie, but I was wrong.
From the high budget that allowed us to visit numerous locations with Alex and Poppy to their on-screen chemistry, Netflix really sold the romcom. Yes, Netflix lighting was present, but maybe that’s just the future of movies, and to get rid of it requires a rewatch of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or 10 Things I Hate About You. Why the obsession with number ten? That’s an article for a different day. The movie was fast-paced and exciting, with all of the vacation locations and side characters, which made for an entertaining treat. It had that classic light-hearted romcom feel we all love, with that friends-to-lovers swoon-worthy romance we all know.
To wrap things up, I think watching this movie changed my perspective on modern-day romcoms. Maybe ‘Netflix lighting’ isn’t the issue; it’s more about the chemistry of the characters and the plot. So much goes into movies, and blaming it on ‘Netflix lighting’ kinda is doing the movie a disservice. I think overall, People We Meet on Vacation (2026) captures the classic romcom vibe. Despite the modern-day film equipment, paving the way for romcoms in the future, the genre is back!
