People We Meet on Vacation Netflix: Tom Blyth and Emily Bader on Flipping Rom-Com Tropes

She hates running, yet she's sprinting through the streets for love. Netflix's new rom-com People We Meet on Vacation, based on the beloved Emily Henry novel, has officially arrived, and its stars are breaking down the film's most pivotal emotional beat.

People We Meet on Vacation Netflix: The Anatomy of a Simple Gesture

In a recent conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Tom Blyth and Emily Bader discussed the climax where Poppy travels to Linfield, Ohio, to win back Alex. After two years of silence following a disastrous trip to Tuscany, Poppy realizes that Alex—not the travel destinations she covers for her job—is her true home.

Blyth, known for his role in The Hunger Games prequel, highlighted the simplicity of the finale. Poppy, who has vocally despised running throughout the film, chases after Alex while he’s on a jog. "She totally could just wait on his porch," Blyth noted, but the "urgency" of her love makes her become a runner just for him. He described this moment as the ultimate metaphor for the compromises required in real-life partnerships.

Subverting Gender Norms and 'Friends to Lovers'

The film aims to turn the classic friends-to-lovers trope on its head by reversing traditional gender expectations. Unlike many stories where the man is the one avoiding commitment, Poppy is the unanchored traveler, while Alex is the one seeking roots. "I love that it's the girl running after the guy," Blyth remarked, praising the film's nuance in showing that emotional vulnerability goes both ways.

Bader emphasized that the platonic foundation was essential for the romantic payoff. She observed that the "leap of faith" is often scarier when you're best friends because there's so much more to lose. As fans hunt for Easter eggs in the "Henry-verse," both actors expressed excitement about potentially reprising their roles in future projects—provided Blyth gets to do some karaoke.