Sense and Sensibility Review: A Beautiful New Take on Jane Austen’s Classic
Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility has already received several memorable adaptations, but Georgia Oakley’s 2026 version takes a more intimate and grounded approach to the beloved story. Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles as sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, this new adaptation focuses heavily on love, sisterhood, financial uncertainty, and the emotional pressure of living in a society where women have limited choices.
Rather than simply trying to recreate the charm of previous versions, the 2026 Sense and Sensibility attempts to make Austen’s characters feel more natural and emotionally recognizable to a modern audience. The result is a romantic period drama that looks beautiful and features two strong central performances, even if its slower and more serious tone may not work for everyone.
Sense and Sensibility Movie Story
The story follows the Dashwood family after the death of their father leaves Elinor, Marianne, their younger sister Margaret, and their mother without the financial security they once had.
Because the family estate passes to their half-brother John, the Dashwoods are forced to leave their home and move to a modest cottage in Devonshire. Their new circumstances completely change their lives and make marriage more than just a question of romance.
Elinor Dashwood is practical, thoughtful, and determined to keep her emotions under control. She develops a close relationship with Edward Ferrars, played by George MacKay, but their potential romance is complicated by family expectations and their different financial circumstances.
Her younger sister Marianne is almost the complete opposite. She is passionate, outspoken, emotional, and unwilling to hide what she wants. When she meets the charming John Willoughby, played by Frank Dillane, she quickly becomes convinced that she has found the kind of romantic connection she has always wanted.
At the same time, Colonel Brandon becomes interested in Marianne, creating another complicated romantic situation.
The film uses these relationships to explore the difference between Elinor’s restraint and Marianne’s emotional openness while keeping the sisters’ relationship at the center of the story.
Daisy Edgar-Jones Is Excellent as Elinor
Daisy Edgar-Jones gives Sense and Sensibility a strong emotional center as Elinor Dashwood.
Elinor is not a character who constantly explains how she feels. Instead, much of her emotional journey exists in small reactions, expressions, silences, and conversations. Edgar-Jones handles that restraint particularly well.
Her performance makes Elinor feel intelligent and vulnerable without turning her into a completely passive character. She understands the responsibilities placed on her and frequently puts her family’s needs ahead of her own happiness.
The chemistry between Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles is also one of the film’s biggest strengths. Their relationship as sisters feels natural, and their different personalities make their scenes together especially effective.
Esmé Creed-Miles Brings Energy to Marianne
If Edgar-Jones represents the film’s restraint, Esmé Creed-Miles brings its emotional intensity.
Her Marianne is passionate, unpredictable, romantic, and sometimes impulsive. Creed-Miles gives the character plenty of energy while also showing the pain underneath her confidence.
Marianne’s romantic journey with Willoughby becomes one of the film’s most emotionally difficult elements. Her idealistic view of love gradually collides with reality, forcing her to reconsider what she expects from relationships.
Creed-Miles makes that transition convincing, and her performance gives the character more emotional depth than simply portraying Marianne as the rebellious younger sister.
George MacKay, Frank Dillane and the Supporting Cast
George MacKay plays Edward Ferrars with a quiet sincerity that fits the film’s restrained approach. His relationship with Elinor depends heavily on subtle moments and unspoken emotions rather than dramatic declarations.
Frank Dillane makes a strong impression as John Willoughby. He initially has the charm and confidence expected from a romantic Austen character, but there is something less trustworthy underneath the surface. Dillane effectively balances Willoughby’s charisma with his more troubling qualities.
Herbert Nordrum brings a different energy to Colonel Brandon, while Fiona Shaw provides some of the film’s more entertaining moments as Mrs. Jennings.
Caitríona Balfe, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Tom Brooke and Stacy Martin also contribute to the ensemble, giving the Dashwood family’s social world more personality and tension.
A More Natural and Grounded Sense and Sensibility
One of the biggest differences between this version and previous adaptations is its visual and emotional approach.
Director Georgia Oakley, following her acclaimed debut Blue Jean, avoids making the film feel excessively polished or theatrical. Instead, the characters often appear more natural and lived-in. Their clothing, surroundings, and behavior give the period setting a more earthy quality.
The cinematography by Arnaud Potier also emphasizes the English countryside and natural environments. The film frequently allows the landscape to become part of the characters’ emotional experience.
This approach makes Sense and Sensibility feel less like a traditional glossy period romance and more like an intimate character drama.
That will probably divide audiences.
Some viewers may appreciate the naturalistic atmosphere, while fans expecting the lighter wit and playful energy of the 1995 adaptation may find this version considerably more subdued.
Love, Money and Sisterhood
At its heart, Sense and Sensibility is not simply a love story.
The film understands that romance for these women is closely connected to money, social status, family expectations, and security.
Elinor and Marianne want love, but they are also living in a society where their financial circumstances can determine their future. That creates an interesting tension between personal happiness and practical survival.
The strongest element, however, remains the relationship between the two sisters.
Elinor and Marianne approach life completely differently, but neither character is presented as entirely right or wrong. Their opposing personalities allow the film to explore two different ways of dealing with love and disappointment.
Where Sense and Sensibility Falls Short
The 2026 Sense and Sensibility is beautifully made, but its serious tone can sometimes work against it.
The film moves at a deliberate pace, and some romantic scenes do not have the emotional intensity they should. The relationship between Elinor and Edward, in particular, relies so heavily on subtlety that some viewers may struggle to understand why their romance is supposed to be so powerful.
The film also lacks some of the sparkling humor associated with Jane Austen’s work and the celebrated 1995 adaptation starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet.
Flickering Myth was considerably harsher on the film, criticizing its melancholy atmosphere, lack of romantic chemistry and subdued dance sequence. Other critics have responded much more positively, particularly to the performances, sisterly relationship and naturalistic direction.
That difference in critical response says a lot about the movie. This is not necessarily a crowd-pleasing Austen adaptation designed to recreate everything audiences loved about the previous versions. It is a more personal reinterpretation.
Sense and Sensibility Trailer
The official trailer introduces Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles as Elinor and Marianne Dashwood while highlighting the film’s themes of romance, family, and sisterhood. It also gives a good look at Georgia Oakley’s naturalistic visual style and the period setting.
For viewers who love Jane Austen adaptations, the trailer makes it clear that this version is aiming for something more intimate and emotionally grounded rather than simply recreating the look of earlier adaptations.
Final Verdict
Sense and Sensibility is a thoughtful and visually beautiful new interpretation of Jane Austen’s classic novel.
Georgia Oakley brings a distinctive naturalistic style to the material, while Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles give the film its strongest performances. Their relationship as Elinor and Marianne is the emotional foundation of the movie, and the story’s themes of love, money, social pressure and family remain as relevant as ever.
The film does not completely escape the shadow of earlier adaptations, and its slow pace and serious atmosphere may not appeal to every Austen fan. The romance also does not always have the emotional power the story demands.
Still, there is enough ambition and personality here to make the 2026 Sense and Sensibility more than just another remake.
For audiences who enjoy character-driven period dramas, Jane Austen adaptations, and romantic stories centered on complicated family relationships, this new Sense and Sensibility is worth watching.
Sense and Sensibility Movie Details
Title: Sense and Sensibility
Release Year: 2026
Director: Georgia Oakley
Screenplay: Diana Reid, based on the novel by Jane Austen
Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, George MacKay, Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum, Caitríona Balfe, Fiona Shaw, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Tom Brooke, Stacy Martin
Genre: Romance, Drama, Period
Runtime: 131 minutes
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Companies: Working Title Films, November Pictures, Kiddo Films
U.S. Release Date: October 16, 2026
Rating: 3.5/5
