‘One of one of the best movies in fashionable cinema’ is new Netflix romcom primarily based off best-selling e-book | Films | Entertainment | EUROtoday

Tough instances name for stress-free TV. With wars and invasions waged all over the world, there’s little extra comforting than switching on the TV and seeing a light-hearted sequence. While you might need already binge-watched Emily in Paris season 5, a model new movie is awaiting these with a Netflix subscription, and, for a romantic drama, it has surprisingly optimistic critiques.

The movie in query is People We Meet on Vacation, the long-awaited adaptation of Emily Henry’s bestselling novel. Released on January 9, 2026, it has rapidly develop into the final word “comfort watch” for these trying to escape the winter blues. Sharply and poignantly, the outline of the movie on Rotten Tomatoes reads: “Free-spirited Poppy (Emily Bader) and routine-loving Alex (Tom Blyth) have been unlikely best friends for a decade, living in different cities but spending every summer vacation together.

“The cautious steadiness of their friendship is put to the take a look at after they start to query what has been apparent to everybody else – may they really be the proper romantic match?”

Told through a nonlinear narrative, the story follows the decade-long friendship of “opposites appeal to” duo Poppy, a free-spirited travel writer, and Alex, a reserved introvert.

After a fallout in Croatia led to two years of silence, Poppy, realising she was happiest when they were together, rekindles their bond by inviting Alex on a trip to Palm Springs for his brother’s wedding.

As the vacation unfolds, flashbacks reveal the evolution of their relationship and the moments that led to their estrangement.

While critics often dismiss the genre as clichéd, the film has debuted with a strong 82% Rotten Tomatoes score and a solid 7.0/10 rating on IMDb.

A happy Reddit viewer wrote: “I did not have excessive expectations, however I actually appreciated it, it was a pleasing shock! And it is humorous the way it has two issues I hate on romance books – time jumps to the previous and second probabilities. But as a film it actually labored for me!”

A review on Rotten Tomatoes stated: “Such a cute, enjoyable romcom – positively among the best now we have gotten in modern-day cinema! Definitely stayed true to the e-book for essentially the most half (a couple of issues had been lacking that I’d have appreciated to see) however that being mentioned Tom and Emily did an unbelievable job with these characters!”

However, many have criticised the film. The Guardian, for example, branded the adaptation a “shallow and artificial” experience that lacks any real heart.

Despite the “shiny” production and a Taylor Swift-filled soundtrack, the critic found the journey of friends-turned-lovers to be a “limp tracing” of When Harry Met Sally, ultimately describing the film as a “grim begin to the 12 months.”

A Financial Times review the movie is “When Harry Met Sally … with out the zingers or chemistry”, arguing “you’d relatively run into the nastiest White Lotus characters in your hols than these dorks”.

Ultimately, solely you’ll be able to resolve if this movie is for you. So why not give it a strive?