Sense and Sensibility (2026) Focus/Drama RT: 131 minutes Rated PG (some thematic elements, partial nudity, brief violence) Director: Georgia Oakley Screenplay: Diana Reid Music: Roger Goula Cinematography: Arnaud Potier Release date: October 16, 2026 (US) Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esme Creed-Miles, Caitriona Balfe, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum, George MacKay, Fiona Shaw, Stacy Martin, Tom Brooke, Turlough Convery, Chloe Perrie, Eliot Sumner, Bethany Slater, Ceara Coveney.
Rating: *** ½
My biggest fear about this new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility was that it would be a “re-imagining” for modern audiences like this year’s abysmal Wuthering Heights. Thankfully, it’s not. Sure, it has an earthier tone that Ang Lee’s 1995 version, but it’s no less romantic. In fact, I think Georgia Oakley’s down-to-earth approach to the material is one of its greatest assets.
I am aware that not too many people outside of lit majors and period romance junkies are familiar with Sense and Sensibility. It actually makes me sad that the names Bella and Edward are more apt to be recognized than Elinor and Marianne, the sisters at the heart of the story. And what a story it is! It’s filled with drama, romance, scandal, betrayal and mystery. It’s like a 19th century soap opera without all the heinous overacting. Almost.
As per the title, the two eldest Dashwood girls represent opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. The oldest Elinor (Jones, Where the Crawdads Sing) is the realist, the more reserved one. She keeps her feelings to herself. Marianne (Miles, Hanna) is the passionate one. She’s not afraid to express what she’s feeling. Different though they are, they share a deep sisterly bond.
As the movie opens, the Dashwoods receive distressing news about their inheritance from their late father and husband. There isn’t one. As per the law of the time, everything passes to his son John (Brooke, Slow Horses) from his first marriage. He arrives with his snobby wife Fanny (Martin, The Testament of Ann Lee) who not only denies them the yearly allowance suggested by their father, she also compels them to leave their manor in Sussex.
Thanks to distant relative Mrs. Jennings (Shaw, the Harry Potter series), they’re able to relocate to a small cottage in Devonshire. The whole family, including their widowed mother (Balfe, Belfast) and youngest sister Margaret (Breathnach, Hamnet), move to far less impressive digs to begin their new no-frills life.
Now let’s get to the romance part. Elinor is immediately intrigued by Edward Ferrars (MacKay, 1917), the brother of Fanny who objects to their developing relationship. He, like Elinor, has trouble expressing his feelings. He’s also holding something back. Marianne has two men interested in her, the taciturn Colonel Brandon (Nordrum, The Worst Person in the World) and handsome Willoughby (Dillane, Fear the Walking Dead). She’s more interested in the latter which can only mean he’s the wrong choice for whatever reason. He too is hiding something.
The more I think about Sense and Sensibility, the more I like it. It moves a little slowly at times, but such is the nature of 19th century period romances. The rest of it is right on point. The cinematography by Arnaud Potier has a loamy quality to it with the shots of caterpillars on grass, bees on flowers, sandy beaches, rugged windswept moors, bleak skies and rain. The interiors appear to be lit by candles just like Stanley Kubrick’s period piece Barry Lyndon (1975). It augments the drama without overstating it. The whole thing is rather subdued despite the deep well of emotions.
The performances are phenomenal all around. Jones is pitch perfect as Elinor, a young woman emotionally confined by societal conventions. She keeps her emotions close to chest, so much that she can’t even admit how she truly feels about Edward. He’s very much the same way, only he’s bound by a secret he can’t reveal without creating waves. In the role, MacKay is great. Miles is similarly incredible as Marianne, a girl with a wild spirit who loves freely and openly. She feels happiness and grief with equal depth. She is, in short, a force of nature. Breathnach, in a smaller role, continues to show promise as a new star. She holds her own here just as confidently as she did opposite Jason Statham in Shelter earlier this year. Dillane is truly hiss-worthy as a charming cad. Shaw adds comic relief as a wannabe matchmaker.
In just her second feature film, Georgia Oakley shows she could very well be one of the next big filmmakers. She injects plenty of life into Sense and Sensibility. Her creative choices are all spot-on. She even includes a pivotal scene between Colonel Brandon and Willoughby that wasn’t in the Ang Lee version. It makes all the difference.
In short, Sense and Sensibility is excellent even if it isn’t 100% perfect. It’s a great adaptation of a beloved literary classic and a wonderful date night movie.
