TL;DR: People We Meet on Vacation just dropped on Netflix (January 9, 2026), and if you have a teen who spends any time on TikTok, they’ve likely been counting down the days. It’s a PG-13 adaptation of the massive BookTok hit by Emily Henry. While it’s technically "appropriate" for the 13+ crowd, it leans into "mature PG-13" territory with some brief nudity, plenty of drinking, and a few f-bombs.
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If you missed the 2021 publishing craze, People We Meet on Vacation is the story of Poppy and Alex. They are total opposites: Poppy is a wild-child travel writer living in NYC; Alex is a buttoned-up, khaki-wearing teacher who stayed in their small Ohio hometown.
They’ve been best friends since college and have a tradition of taking one week-long summer vacation together every year. The movie follows their "last ditch" trip to Palm Springs to try and fix their friendship after a mysterious falling out two years prior. It’s a classic "friends-to-lovers" slow burn that jumps back and forth between their past vacations and the present day.
There are two main reasons your teen is likely hovering over the "Play" button:
- The "Emily Henry" Effect: Emily Henry is the undisputed queen of modern romance. Her books are staples of BookTok and Bookstagram, and this is the first of her major novels to actually hit the screen.
- Tom Blyth: After his breakout role in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Tom Blyth has a massive young fan base. Seeing him swap the villainous Coriolanus Snow vibes for a "sweet, awkward teacher" role is a big draw.
Ask our chatbot about other popular BookTok adaptations for teens
The book is famously "steamy" (or "spicy" in internet-speak), but Netflix has kept the movie within the PG-13 guardrails. That said, it’s not Bluey. Here is what you’re actually looking at:
Sexual Content & Nudity
This is the biggest "heads up" for parents. There is a skinny-dipping scene where you see bare butts from a distance. One character also ends up naked on a beach after his clothes wash away; while he covers his genitals with his hands, it’s definitely a "mature" comedic moment.
There’s also a scene where Poppy’s parents (played by Molly Shannon and Alan Ruck) hand her a jumbo box of condoms before a trip, which leads to some awkward-but-frank dialogue about sex. The actual "sex scenes" are mostly implied—lots of kissing, heavy breathing, and "morning after" vibes, but no graphic depictions of intimate parts.
Language
The movie uses its "PG-13 allowance" fully. You’ll hear at least one "f-word" used in a non-sexual context, along with plenty of "sh*t," "a**," and other standard middle-school-bus vocabulary.
Substance Use
Poppy and Alex are in their late 20s/early 30s, so there is a lot of social drinking. They are at bars, weddings, and poolside lounges in almost every scene. There are also a few instances of characters smoking weed and a plot point involving a "beta-blocker" pill used for flight anxiety that knocks a character out.
Learn more about how to talk to your teen about "romantasy" and spicy books
Ages 0-12: Skip it. Not because it’s "dangerous," but because it’s a dialogue-heavy romantic comedy about adult burnout and relationship regret. They will be bored to tears within ten minutes.
Ages 13-15: This is the target demographic. If they’ve read the book, they’ve already encountered much "spicier" content than what’s on screen. It’s a good opportunity to talk about the "friends-to-lovers" trope and the reality of long-distance friendships.
Ages 16+: Totally fine. At this age, the drinking and mild nudity are likely things they’ve seen in plenty of other Netflix originals or YA shows.
If you watch it with your teen (or they watch it and want to vent about the ending), here are a few ways to bridge the gap:
- The "Communication Gap": The entire plot relies on two people refusing to say how they feel for ten years. Ask your teen: “Why do you think it’s so hard for Poppy and Alex to just be honest? Is it worth risking a friendship for a relationship?”
- The "Travel Influencer" Reality: Poppy’s job looks glamorous, but she’s actually miserable and burnt out. It’s a great entry point for a conversation about how "Instagram-perfect" lives often hide a lot of stress.
- The Parent Dynamics: The movie portrays Poppy’s parents as "overly open" (the condom box scene). You could joke about it: “On a scale of 1 to Poppy’s parents, how much do I overshare?” It lightens the mood while acknowledging that the movie's parents are a bit... much.
People We Meet on Vacation is a well-made, charming rom-com that treats its characters like actual adults. It’s significantly "cleaner" than the book, but it doesn't shy away from the fact that adults have sex and drink margaritas on vacation.
If your teen is a fan of The Summer I Turned Pretty or To All The Boys I've Loved Before, this is right in their wheelhouse. It’s a safe "yes" for most high schoolers, provided you're okay with a few bare butts and some frank talk about condoms.
Next Steps:
- Check out our guide to the best Emily Henry books for teens if they want to keep reading.
- If they loved the travel vibes, try watching The White Lotus (for older teens) or The Durrells in Corfu for a family-friendly alternative.
- Check out our guide on the "Friends to Lovers" trope in media