There are two belongings you want for a romantic comedy to be actually implausible: nice characters and palpable chemistry between the leads; fortunately, Netflix’s Folks We Meet In Trip has each in spades. Director Brett Haley (Hearts Beat Loud) brings Emily Henry’s 2021 same-named novel to life with an excessive amount of heat that enables the viewers to be transported into this compelling story.
Lately, it has been arduous to seek out good romantic comedies that really feel like those we grew up on — When Harry Met Sally, Whereas You Have been Sleeping, You’ve got Bought Mail. The most effective rom-coms all appear to seize the magic of affection and life in a method that is tough to copy, however Folks We Meet On Trip will get as shut as I’ve seen in a very long time.
Folks We Meet On Trip Is A Charming And Enjoyable Romantic Comedy
Folks We Meet On Trip tells the story of Poppy Wright (Emily Bader) and Alex Nilsen (Tom Blyth) in twin timelines, with the modern-day narrative following the 2 once they’re reunited after a years-long estrangement. In flashback, audiences get to see Poppy and Alex’s friendship develop by way of their yearly holidays, the place they journey around the globe and make reminiscences by way of distinctive experiences.
When Folks We Meet On Trip begins, Poppy is a little bit of a large number. The free-spirited author has grown melancholic about her life residing in New York Metropolis and dealing for a journey journal; she finds herself lacking her greatest buddy, the straight-laced Alex, who’s moved residence to dwell of their hometown of Linfield, Ohio. Then, the event of his brother’s marriage ceremony in Barcelona, Spain, presents the right alternative to reconnect.
What follows is an entertaining romp the world over that is anchored totally on the connection between Poppy and Alex, who go from grudging highway journey buddies to greatest mates to one thing else. The magic of Folks We Meet On Trip is in how this specific relationship blooms, from the characters’ personalities clashing throughout their first journey collectively, to a memorable sequence set in New Orleans that had me smiling so huge and a lot, my face began to harm.
It is clear that Folks We Meet On Trip was crafted by individuals who love love — and never simply the idealistic facet of romantic love. This film depicts a sort of love that is messy and human, and takes work and compromise. However the obstacles that Poppy and Alex have to beat make the inevitable joyful ending of this specific romantic comedy really feel that rather more earned and fantastic.
An enormous purpose the movie works so properly are the characters of Poppy and Alex, who have been initially created by Henry however are dropped at life so vividly by Bader and Blyth. Audiences care about these characters from the ebook as a result of Henry made them really feel actual. They’ve flaws, and so they make errors, and that is why their story is so compelling. The performances of Blyth and Bader take these characters additional, making them really feel much more actual.
Bader’s efficiency as Poppy is enjoyable and bubbly, and, at occasions, so susceptible it is going to go away you feeling like your coronary heart has been cracked open. Equally, Blyth provides Alex the attraction and heat the character must be simply as likable as Poppy, whereas providing a gradual counterpoint to her flightiness. The actors handle to seize the characters’ essence and produce to life their chemistry, which is what provides the film its magic.
Past Bader and Blyth, Folks We Meet On Trip has a complete supporting forged of pleasant facet characters. There’s Jameela Jamil taking part in Poppy’s surprisingly supportive boss on the journey journal, and Alan Ruck and Molly Shannon taking part in Poppy’s mother and father sending her and Alex off on their first trip collectively in an particularly hilarious scene. Nonetheless, the film is actually Poppy and Alex’s story, so that they’re the primary focus, and the actors lead the movie exceptionally properly.
Since Folks We Meet On Trip adapts Emily Henry’s ebook of the identical title, I would be remiss if I did not point out that the film does make some minor adjustments to sure features of the story, and the settings of Poppy and Alex’s holidays. None of them detract from the expertise of the movie, and a few even strengthen the story of Poppy and Alex in order that it feels tighter — which is critical for the roughly two-hour runtime.
Altogether, Folks We Meet On Trip is a wildly entertaining and heartwarming romantic comedy that is good for followers of the style, those that’ve learn Henry’s authentic novel and anybody on the lookout for a date night time film as we head into Valentine’s Day season. Like all the most effective basic romantic comedies, Poppy and Alex’s story is bound to seize the hearts of everybody who watches Folks We Meet On Trip. It definitely captured mine.
- Launch Date
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January 8, 2026
- Runtime
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109 minutes
- Director
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Brett Haley
- Writers
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Yulin Kuang, Emily Henry, Nunzio Randazzo, Amos Vernon
- Producers
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Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, Isaac Klausner