Netflix’s 79% RT-Scored No.1 Hit is Being Slammed by the People It Was Made for Over “Unforgivable” Book Changes

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A new movie based on a popular story has quickly become a hit, reaching the top of the charts only days after its release. Although it’s received generally positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes (currently 79% from both critics and viewers), the adaptation is facing criticism from an unexpected group – the story’s dedicated fans.

Ever since Netflix announced it would be making People We Meet on Vacation, fans have been eagerly awaiting the adaptation. However, as with any book-to-movie project with a dedicated fanbase, decisions about casting and changes to the story could potentially disappoint the people the film is meant for.

The story follows Poppy (Emily Bader) and her close friend, Alex (Tom Blyth), who have a tradition of spending every summer together despite living in different cities. Their long-standing friendship is complicated when they begin to question whether their connection could be something more. While this romantic storyline echoes the plot of When Harry Met Sally, it doesn’t seem to be the main concern critics have with the book and subsequent movie, despite mostly positive feedback.

Although most viewers on Rotten Tomatoes enjoyed the movie—except for those who disliked the book and found the film equally unappealing—Reddit users have been openly sharing many harsh criticisms. One commenter wrote:

I was really disappointed with the movie. While the book was okay, I doubted it would translate well to film, and it didn’t. The characters didn’t have much connection in the book, but at least their thoughts gave them some depth. The movie completely lacked that connection and character growth, and they made a lot of unnecessary changes, which was frustrating.

‘People We Meet on Vacation’ Fans Are Not All Happy

Many viewers agreed that the movie adaptation lost what made the original book good, specifically because the filmmakers combined and altered the characters’ travel sequences. The book features the main characters taking numerous trips together, and the movie condensed these events to keep the runtime manageable and avoid a very long film.

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People We Meet on Vacation is an interesting case. Usually, a lot of complaints would cause a movie’s ratings to drop significantly, but this film seems to be avoiding that fate. Many viewers have given it a neutral 3 out of 5 stars, suggesting it doesn’t strongly divide opinions. Ultimately, the movie delivered what Netflix needed – another big success! With two more books by Emily Henry already optioned by the streaming service, we can anticipate more similar romantic comedies being made soon.

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2026-01-12 17:51