The ‘BookTok’ Dream Turns Into A Nightmare?
It was supposed to be the rom-com event of the year. It was supposed to be the moment Emily Henry’s literary dominance finally conquered Hollywood. Instead, People We Meet on Vacation has landed on Netflix, and it has officially turned into a battlefield. The adaptation of the beloved bestseller dropped this weekend, and the reaction is less “happily ever after” and more “who authorized this mess?”
While the film has managed to scrape together a “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, do not let the numbers fool you. The vibe online is toxic. We are seeing a massive divide between the die-hard book loyalists, the casual viewers, and the critics who are sharpening their knives. The consensus? This movie is polarizing, messy, and for many, a massive disappointment.
Sources close to the production were hoping for a slam dunk to launch the Emily Henry Cinematic Universe, but with reviews calling it “vapid” and fans screaming that the runtime ruined the story, the celebration might be premature. The hype machine was out of control for this one, and now that the credits are rolling, the hangover is hitting hard.
Critics Unleash Hell: ‘Vapid’ And ‘Boring’
If you thought the critics would go easy on a fluffy Netflix rom-com, think again. They are tearing this thing apart limb from limb. The most savage takedown comes from The A.V. Club, which didn’t just dislike the movie; they insulted its very existence.
In a review that is sure to bruise some egos at Netflix HQ, the outlet claimed watching the film “feels more like ordering a sparkling tropical cocktail and getting served tap water.” Tap water. Ouch. They went on to say that despite all the “globe- and time-hopping,” the movie is “so thin it would barely even count as a carry-on.”
But wait, it gets worse. Marya E. Gates over at Roger Ebert seemingly woke up and chose violence. She rated the film a dismal . out of stars and called it a “vapid attempt” at reviving the genre. Her description of the film sounds like a crime scene investigation:
“It feels like the filmmakers put When Harry Met Sally, My Best Friend’s Wedding and One Day in a blender, mixed it with a few scenes from The Notebook but removed any sort of character or world building in the process.”
When you are being accused of removing “character building” from a character-driven story, you know you have a problem. Gates went on to blast the visual language as “boring” and claimed the director was on “autopilot.” This isn’t just a bad review; it is an indictment of the entire production.
The ‘Three Writers’ Problem
Here is a detail that has industry insiders raising their eyebrows: The script had three writers
Despite the team effort, critics are slamming the script for giving the characters “very little development.” How do three professional writers fail to flesh out two characters that were already fully realized in a bestselling novel? It is the question plaguing the fanbase right now.
NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour was nicer, calling it “fine” and “pleasant,” but in the world of entertainment, “fine” is just a polite way of saying “forgettable.” They noted the movie loses the things that “made the book special.” If you lose the magic of the book, why make the movie?
RELATED: Everything to Know About ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ Netflix Adaptation
Emily Henry’s PR Spin?
The author herself, Emily Henry, was spotted at the Los Angeles premiere in January , smiling through the flashbulbs and towing the company line. But read closely what she actually told reporters. It sounds suspiciously like a diplomatic defense of a project she lost control over.
“It’s surreal,” she told reporters. “I’m just so proud of everybody who worked on [it]. Because this is really their baby. I have the book. I love the book. I’ll always be proud of the book, but they made something really special that I feel like takes the book and then does some new stuff with it too.”
“This is really their baby.” Is that code for “I wash my hands of this”? By emphasizing that she has the book and they have the movie, is she subtly distancing herself from the final product? She praised director Brett Haley’s vision, but when the reviews are this mixed, an author’s public support often feels like contractual obligation rather than genuine hype.
Fan Revolt: “It Should Have Been A Series!”
The biggest controversy isn’t coming from the critics; it is coming from the die-hard fans who feel robbed. The number one complaint flooding social media? The runtime. Fans are furious that a complex, years-spanning story was crammed into a standard movie length.
The internet is flooded with comments from viewers who think Netflix butchered the pacing.
“Couldn’t shake the feeling that People We Meet on Vacation would have worked better as a series (an episode for every vacation)…”
“I watched People We Meet on Vacation and I agree, it needed to be a series. You finish the movie wanting more. There are so many questions unanswered.”
This is a common problem with Netflix adaptations. They take a -page novel and shred it down to minutes, leaving all the nuance on the cutting room floor. Fans are demanding “more Poppy and Alex,” and the movie simply didn’t deliver the slow-burn angst that made the book a sensation.
The Chemistry Test: Fire Or Ice?
A rom-com lives and dies by its leads. If Emily Bader (Poppy) and Tom Blyth (Alex) don’t have sparks, the movie is dead on arrival. The verdict? The jury is hung.
Some fans are obsessing over the pairing. One user on X (formerly Twitter) claimed they were “giddy, kicking my feet” and “falling head over heels” for the duo. Another Rotten Tomatoes user dropped a fire emoji and called the vibes “super cheesy” in a good way.
But the haters are loud. Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are peppering the page with words like “cringy” and “boring.” When half your audience is swooning and the other half is cringing, you have a chemistry problem. Screen Rant tried to save the day by calling it “wildly entertaining,” but they seem to be in the minority compared to the vocal backlash on social media.
The Tomato Meter Drama
Let’s talk numbers. At the time of this publication, the movie is sitting at percent with critics and percent with audiences. On paper, that is “Certified Fresh.” But in reality, those numbers are shaky.
A percent means a quarter of critics hated it, and even the positive reviews—like NPR’s—are damning with faint praise. This isn’t the blowout success Netflix needed. It is a “barely passing” grade for a property that has sold millions of copies worldwide.
This mixed reception puts a massive question mark over future adaptations. With Hollywood eager to mine BookTok for content, a lukewarm reception for the flagship title could spook investors. If People We Meet on Vacation is just “tap water,” will audiences show up for Beach Read or Book Lovers? Or has Netflix already poisoned the well?
The movie is streaming now, so you can decide for yourself: Is it a “warm cup of tea” or a “vapid” disaster? Just don’t say we didn’t warn you about the tap water.
RELATED: Do Poppy and Alex End Up Together in ‘People We Meet on Vacation’?
