Sense and Sensibility (2026) Review

The 2026 version of Sense and Sensibility is a gritty take on one of Jane Austen’s most famous novels.

The Dashwoods have fallen on hard times after the family patriarch dies. They are forced to give up their home and move to the most horrible place imaginable, Devonshire. Despite these hardships, the oldest daughters, Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles), experience love and heartbreak as they look for suitable husbands.

Jane Austen has been ever-present in British culture. In the past year, there has been a biographical miniseries for BBC One/PBS, a reinterpretation of Pride and Prejudice with The Other Bennett Sister, and Netflix is set to release its own version of Pride and Prejudice in December. The 2026 version of Sense and Sensibility had a lot to gain some attention because it had a highly talented cast, it served as Georgia Oakley’s follow-up film to her acclaimed debut Blue Jeans, and it was produced by Working Title Films, who have experience adapting Jane Austen novels.

This version of Sense and Sensibility can be compared to the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Both aimed to be more grounded and gritty versions of Jane Austen stories since they show the main characters living in modest surroundings compared to neighbours and had a lived-in look. The Dashwoods moved to a cramped cottage that looked like it should have been for two people, not a family of four. There was an emphasis on natural lighting. The main light source during nighttime was candlelight. The cinematographer felt like he was influenced by Barry Lyndon. England in this film was cold and damp that only became bright towards the end.

I saw Sense and Sensibility with my mum, and she said it felt more like Wuthering Heights. Ironically, a Jane Austen adaptation felt more like an adaptation of Emily Brontë’s work than the actual adaptation of Wuthering Heights this year. This gets to the heart of the issue with Sense and Sensibility because it was drab and dreary, and it moved at a glacial pace. It lacks the zip one would expect from an Austen adaptation.

Austen adaptations tend to be light and humorous as characters verbally spar whilst maintaining polite etiquette. They often show heroines who are bright, capable, and able to take control of their destiny even within the constraints of the Regency Era. Some characters were framed to be comedic because they were so eccentric. There was Mrs Jennings (Fiona Shaw), who found the Dashwoods their new home in the West Country and set out to find husbands for the Dashwood girls, although the Dashwoods weren’t as fond of her. She was notable for carrying around her little black pug and attempting a West Country accent, but Shaw’s natural Irish slipped through. The landowner, Sir John Middleton (Turlough Convery), was fond of the Dashwoods and showed it by giving them animals he had shot. It’s not Convery’s first rodeo with Jane Austen because he was also in Sanditon. Stacy Martin was also notable as the Dashwoods’ passive-aggressive and most disagreeable sister-in-law. Martin was unrecognisable with blonde curly locks instead of her usual straight brunette hair.

Elinor and Marianne’s goal was to find suitable matches and the perils that entail. Elinor was drawn to Edward Ferrars (George MacKay), her sister-in-law’s brother, who was a nice, noble man but came off as wet as a winter’s evening on the Isle of Bute. She had to contend with Edward’s prior engagements. Marianne had the more interesting dilemma since she had two suitors, the dull Colonel Brandon (Herbert Nodrum) and the rugged John Willoughby (Frank Dillane). Marianne’s dilemma was closer to Elizabeth Bennett and Emma Woodhouse since they had multiple suitors and had to choose the right one. However, the romantic interests weren’t as well defined. Edward was off-screen for most of the film, and his engagement with another woman was treated as a throwaway detail, whilst Colonel Brandon made no impression as Marianne’s other love interest.

The real heart of the film came from the relationship between Elinor and Marianne. The story was a tale of sisterhood. They were close even though they had differing personalities. Elinor was the sensible, rational one who was interested in intellectual pursuits, whilst Marianne was the free-spirited artistic sister who played the piano and enjoyed the arts. Marianne was the romantic who wanted to find true love.

The love and care Elinor and Marianne had for each other was felt throughout the film. Creed-Miles excelled as Marianne, who acted as a free spirit and was not constrained by the society she lived in. Marianne wore her heart on her sleeve, whether she was joyously dancing or letting out her sadness and anger. She brought some life to the proceedings.

On a final note, dog lovers should have fun spotting all the various breeds. However, the Dashwoods’ cat wasn’t treated as kindly.

The new version of Sense and Sensibility was a handsome production, and Creed-Miles, Shaw, and Convery did their best to breathe some life into the film, but it suffered from being too uptight and formal for its own good.