People We Meet On Vacation's "Sexiest Sex Scene" Was Cut From The Movie
The original version was a whole lot spicier.
Netflix’s movie adaptation of People We Meet on Vacation made a few big changes from Emily Henry’s 2021 novel, but one stood out the most for book lovers. The climax of Poppy and Alex’s love story sees the longtime friends finally having sex after passionately making out in the pouring rain. In the book, this moment is incredibly descriptive and super steamy. But in the movie, the sex scene doesn’t last as long as viewers expected.
Henry herself is aware of the watered-down encounter, and even confirmed that actors Emily Bader and Tom Blyth had originally filmed a much hotter version. “It was gorgeous and perfect. I mean, I feel a little bit guilty because I went and told all of my friends, ‘It’s one of the sexiest sex scenes I’ve ever seen in my life,’” Henry told Variety of the initial cut. “Like, genuinely it was like Titanic level to me. It was so, so good and raw and tender.”
However, not everyone who saw it felt the same. “They had started doing test screenings and people who, especially people who weren’t familiar with the books, felt kind of like it was a hard right turn in the movie,” Henry said.
“If it doesn’t fit in the movie, then it doesn’t work,” Henry continued. “It has to serve the larger movie. I don’t want anyone to feel like they were jolted out of the story, and feel like they hopped rails into a different movie.”
Director Brett Haley agreed that the steamier sex scene “didn’t gel” with the movie they were making. “The level of spiciness does not fit this tone,” Haley said. “You see them grow up, you see them as kids, and then you see them as adults. And so it was really important to me to find a balance. And I think we did. I think we found the balance in the steaminess and the sexiness versus just the wholesomeness and the earnestness of their love.”
That said, Henry is hopeful that fans will get to see this hot-and-heavy cut one day. “I wonder if someday there could be a director’s cut where people can see this scene? Because it is really so beautiful,” Henry said. “They all just outdid themselves. It feels so tender and real, but very, very sexy and romantic.”
