If you’ve been scrolling Netflix lately, feeling exhausted by heavy dramas, twisty thrillers, or endless true-crime docs that leave you emotionally drained, then congratulations: the algorithm has finally decided to be kind. Right now sitting at #1 on Netflix’s global movie chart with 17.2 million views in its debut week, People We Meet on Vacation has quietly become the feel-good escape millions of people didn’t know they desperately needed. And honestly? For a mid-budget rom-com without A-list megastars, no franchise hype, no explosions or supernatural elements — that number is genuinely impressive.

The praise has been pouring in. Rotten Tomatoes currently sits at a very respectable 76% (critics) and an even stronger 88% audience score. On social media — especially TikTok, Twitter/X, and Instagram Reels — clips are everywhere: people filming their reactions to the airport scene, the Santorini sunrise kiss, the quiet “I’ve always loved you” confession in the rain. Comments range from “I’m crying in my kitchen at 2 a.m.” to “Finally, a rom-com that doesn’t make me want to throw my phone.” So naturally, like millions of others, I had to see what all the fuss was about.

And yes — it really is that good.

People We Meet on Vacation is the definition of a comfort movie: light, warm, charming, emotionally honest without being manipulative, funny without being mean, romantic without being saccharine. You finish it smiling like an idiot, feeling like someone just wrapped you in a soft blanket and told you everything is going to be okay. It’s the cinematic equivalent of your favorite oversized hoodie, a cup of hot chocolate, and a rainy Saturday afternoon with nowhere to be.

The story is deceptively simple — and that’s exactly why it works so well.

Poppy Wright (Emily Bader) and Alex Nilsson (Tom Blyth) meet by chance on a college flight home during spring break. Poppy is loud, chaotic, extroverted, always chasing the next adventure, the next story, the next high. Alex is quiet, thoughtful, introverted, happiest with a book and a cup of black coffee. They couldn’t be more different — and yet, within ten minutes of forced proximity on that plane, they’re laughing, arguing, sharing snacks, and somehow deciding they’re going to be friends. Not the polite “let’s follow each other on Instagram” kind of friends — the real, ride-or-die, I-know-all-your-worst-habits kind of friends.

After graduation they drift apart geographically — Poppy becomes a successful freelance travel writer jetting around the globe, Alex settles into a stable life as a literature professor in a small college town — but they make one sacred promise: every summer, no matter what, they will meet somewhere in the world and go on vacation together. No excuses. No cancellations. Just the two of them, one week a year, keeping their friendship alive.

And so begins a decade of annual trips: street food crawls in Bangkok, beach-hopping in Bali, Christmas markets in Prague, wine tasting in Tuscany, sunrise hikes in Santorini, lazy days in the Maldives. Poppy is always the planner — dragging Alex to night markets, rooftop parties, spontaneous scuba dives, karaoke bars at 3 a.m. Alex pretends to complain (and sometimes genuinely does), but he always goes along — because secretly, those weeks with Poppy are the brightest parts of his year.

The film is structured around these vacations, jumping back and forth between different summers, slowly revealing how their friendship deepens, how their fights become more personal, how their silences become more loaded, how the little moments start to feel like something much bigger. Poppy pushes Alex out of his comfort zone; Alex anchors Poppy when she’s spiraling. They know each other’s worst fears, worst habits, worst breakups. They’ve seen each other at their messiest, most vulnerable, most hungover. And somewhere along the way — so gradually neither of them notices at first — friendship quietly turns into something else.

The plot may sound familiar — best friends of opposite personalities slowly realizing they’re in love — and yes, it echoes One Day (2011) and Thailand’s Friend Zone (2019) in structure and tone. But People We Meet on Vacation manages to take the best parts of both predecessors and make something fresher, warmer, and more hopeful.

Like One Day, it’s the story of two people whose lives run parallel for years, always almost touching but never quite connecting romantically until the timing is finally right. Like Friend Zone, it celebrates the joy of travel as the backdrop for falling in love — exotic locations, new foods, new experiences — all of it making the characters feel more alive when they’re together. But unlike One Day (which can feel relentlessly melancholic), this film stays firmly in the light. And unlike Friend Zone (which leans heavily on miscommunication and jealousy), this one trusts its characters to be mature, honest, and emotionally intelligent enough to talk through their fears instead of letting them fester for dramatic effect.

The result is a rom-com that feels gentle and grown-up at the same time — funny without being silly, romantic without being unrealistic, emotional without being manipulative. It knows exactly what it wants to be: a big, warm hug of a movie.

And a huge part of why it works so well is the casting.

Emily Bader as Poppy is a revelation. She brings exactly the right mix of chaos and vulnerability — Poppy is loud, opinionated, sometimes exhausting, occasionally selfish, but never unlikable. Bader makes sure we see the insecurity underneath the bravado: the fear of being left behind, the fear that if she slows down, people will stop loving her. There’s a fragility in her eyes during the quieter scenes that makes you want to protect her even when she’s driving Alex (and the audience) up the wall.

Tom Blyth as Alex is equally perfect — the ultimate “green flag” boyfriend in waiting. He’s steady, kind, thoughtful, quietly funny, deeply loyal. He doesn’t try to change Poppy; he simply loves her exactly as she is, chaos and all. Blyth gives Alex such warmth and sincerity that every time he looks at Poppy with that soft, patient smile, you feel it in your chest. Their chemistry is effortless — not the explosive fireworks kind, but the slow-building, comfortable, “I’ve-known-you-forever” kind that makes you believe they really could spend the rest of their lives together.

The supporting cast is solid without overshadowing the leads: Poppy’s chaotic best friend group, Alex’s well-meaning but slightly overbearing academic colleagues, the various hotel staff, tour guides, and random travelers who cross their paths — everyone feels lived-in and real.

Visually, the film is a feast. The cinematography drinks in every location — golden hour on Santorini cliffs, neon street markets in Bangkok, lavender fields in Provence, turquoise waves in Bali — and makes you want to book a flight immediately. The color palette is bright and saturated without ever feeling artificial; the camera lingers lovingly on small details: hands brushing accidentally, shared earbuds on a night train, a Polaroid camera passed back and forth capturing candid moments.

The soundtrack is another highlight — indie-folk acoustic covers of pop songs, upbeat travel anthems, soft piano during the emotional scenes — perfectly matching the mood of each destination and each stage of their relationship.

If you love One Day, Friend Zone, The Holiday, About Time, or even When Harry Met Sally — you will adore this. If you’re tired of dark, cynical, or overly sexualized rom-coms, this one will feel like coming home. If you’re anti “friends-to-lovers” because you think it’s always messy or unrealistic — give this one a chance anyway. The friendship here is healthy, respectful, and genuinely loving long before romance enters the picture.

People We Meet on Vacation isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. It’s just trying to remind us why we fell in love with romantic comedies in the first place: because sometimes, the simplest story — two people slowly realizing they’re already home whenever they’re together — is still the most powerful one.

So turn off the lights, grab your favorite blanket, maybe pour a glass of wine or make some popcorn, and let Poppy and Alex take you on a trip around the world.

By the end, you’ll be smiling like an idiot.

You’ll believe in love again — the quiet, steady, everyday kind.

And you might just text that one friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with and say:

“Hey… summer’s coming. Where should we go?”