Sense and Sensibility: Movie Review

Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, George MacKay, Esme Creed-Miles, Caitriona Balfe, Fiona Shaw, Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum
Director: Georgia Oakley

Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility has already had a movie that saw its stature boosted - the 1996 adaptation with Emma Thompson and Colin Firth.

So you could be forgiven for wondering what a 2026 version under the eye of Blue Jean director Georgia Oakley could bring to the cinematic table.

But in truth, this lavishly shot, lush rendition of the oh-so-familiar tale of the Dashwood sisters after they're evicted from their family home brings plenty of vicarious pleasures, sumptuous shots and clever, witty dialogue to help it sparkle when it needs to.

Older sisters Elinor (Edgar-Jones) and Marianne (a standout Creed-Miles) have aspirations beyond their run-down Devonshire cottage when the family falls on hard times - but their respective quests for love are stymied by circumstance and nature when not everything goes to plan as they venture to the capital in pursuit of their heart's desires. 

The 2026 version of Sense and Sensibility is imbued with a bucolic charm in its opening moments as one Dashwood sister lies in the long grass, with not a care in the world to trouble her. As Oakley's camera lingers over her, there's a sense of setting and of cinematic sensibility that instils a calm in audiences worried that yet another Austen adaptation may not hit the mark.

And while Edgar-Jones feels a little too wispy and wistful in the role of the eldest sister Elinor, the life and sparkle of this adaptation belongs to Creed-Miles' Marianne, the feisty sister who wants affection but who bats away suitors with cutting remarks and elegant observations. In the role, Creed-Miles excels, bringing a vibrancy into proceedings that very occasionally saunter towards wafting and inert in their unspooling.

But the film's sense of direction and handsomely shot world of the countryside and its sensibilities gives this latest a feeling of place, of time and also of timeliness. Something which is a stark contrast to the world of London that comes to life later on.

Fiona Shaw is a scene-stealer with her boorish Mrs Jennings, whose penchant for gossip and crassness cuts through the high-faluting moments of class within. 

If the romance between MacKay and Edgar-Jones feels a little muted, that's to be forgiven - there's the usual side looks, chaste and almost handtouches to satiate the swooners of the audience, but Sense and Sensibility's heart lies with its more lively elements.

Mixing humour and tart observations serves the stuffiness well - and while purists may bristle in some parts, Blue Jean director Georgia Oakley has more than modernised this tale - and audiences will rightfully wallow in the results.