Jane Austen novels are notorious for their sense of yearning, and this year’s film adaptation of “Sense and Sensibility” is no different. Released on Oct. 16, “Sense and Sensibility” has everyone waiting, patiently and impatiently, for love.
The film follows the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones), Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles) and Margaret (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), after the death of their father results in their half-brother, John Dashwood (Tom Brooke), taking control of their estate. Before moving out, Edward Ferrars (George MacKay) — one of the Dashwood’s in-laws — visits the estate and immediately connects with Elinor, since they’re both outsiders of the family. When the Dashwoods move out of their home and to the country, Edward and Elinor separate and her family has to start over both socially and financially.
In the country, Marianne meets Colonel Brandon (Herbert Nordrum), who falls for her, and John Willoughby (Frank Dillane), who she initially falls in love with. When Willoughby has to go to London, Marianne continues to send him letters, assuming that they’re still together. But, when Marianne and Elinor finally visit London, they find out that both Willoughby and Edward are engaged to other people. Willoughby seemingly moved on from Marianne after moving to London, however Edward secretly agreed to marry another woman a long time ago and felt he had a duty to uphold the engagement, even though he truly loves Elinor. Now, Elinor is forced to learn how to face her emotions and Marianne must learn how to move on from toxic love.
In initial reactions to this film, fans of the novel and the 1995 movie were worried that this new iteration’s color grading is too muted and dark. However, these colors intentionally reflect the story and the emotions of the characters. As the Dashwoods move from their bigger estate to a smaller cottage in a smaller town, the indoor spaces get darker, conveying the unfamiliarity of where they have moved to. This visual allows the audience to feel that unfamiliarity with the characters and creates a more grim tone compared to when they had more financial freedom.
That grim tone follows throughout the movie, making it feel less cheerful than other Austen adaptations like the 2005 “Pride and Prejudice” movie adaptation. However, this grim tone is important to connect with the stakes of the characters.
Throughout “Sense and Sensibility,” marriage and relationships are about more than love. Often, characters’ decisions are backed by their want for financial freedom — like how it is later revealed that Willoughby did something similar to another woman, thinking he would receive her inheritance but left her after realizing she doesn’t have any. Or, their decisions are backed by honor — like Edward’s agreement to continue his engagement with another woman. Because of this, the characters’ want for love isn’t easy and feels unachievable. The darker tone of this film reflects that feeling because, for a lot of these characters, there is a lot more on the line than just the relationships involved.
Even with this darker atmosphere, the film is visually stunning. It has a natural color palette of greens and browns, which lends itself to the inclusion of nature shots that feel like 19th-century landscape paintings. Every once in a while, shots of fields, trees or streams are weaved into the story. These shots make nature feel like another character in the story: constantly there in the background while events play out.
Outside of visuals, the film also uses nature-centric cinematography to stall the story in moments that feel slow for the characters. When the Dashwoods first move into the new cabin, many lingering shots of the surrounding woods and outdoor scenery are included, drawing out the scene to slow the pace of the story. This happens again when Marianne writes letters to Willoughby with no response. In both situations, the shift to the natural landscape breaks up the flow of events in order to stay in these emotional moments with the characters. Instead of simply moving on to the next plot point, the audience is forced to wait alongside Marianne and Elinor, illustrating how every minute they wait for Willoughby or Edward feels like hours.
But the real center of the film is the characters. Like many Jane Austen novels, everyone has clear motivations and characteristics, making all of them feel like real people, including Edward, Colonel Brandon and Willoughby. Even though these characters function as love interests in the story, they’re never reduced to just that role and have distinct personalities.
What is especially important is the connection between sisters Elinor and Marianne. The film contrasts their ways of processing emotions with their individual searches for love. Marianne believes in feeling every emotion, making her love story with Willoughby and Colonel Brandon one that reflects that characteristic: It’s fast and dramatic. On the other hand, Elinor reduces and hides her emotions in order to stay honorable. For example, she tells Edward that if he were to break off his engagement in order to marry her, she would no longer love him because she views that as a dishonorable act.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the performances from Edgar-Jones and Creed-Miles, who stand out as key players in this movie. They always clearly and effortlessly portray their character’s complex emotions of longing, jealousy and love. Edgar-Jones makes it clear that Elinor fell in love with Edward the moment she saw him, even if she doesn’t want to admit it to herself. Meanwhile, Creed-Miles displays Marianne’s grief so clearly that when she finally begins to recover from it, viewers can clearly understand how she’s changed as a character, even if the film leaves the future of her character a bit open-ended.
Similarly, MacKay shows intricate emotions as Edward. As a very proper man, Edward’s thoughts often lay between the words he says, and MacKay balances that emotion naturally. Like Edgar-Jones, his longing for Elinor but attempt to suppress those feelings is so clear in his performance that the audience can clearly understand that feeling.
“Sense and Sensibility” feels like a work of art. With amazing storytelling and performances, the emotions between the lines come out clearly to the audience, leaving viewers invested in the many romantic plots of the film. Even with a darker, more serious tone than many Austen movies have come to bear, “Sense and Sensibility” makes it clear what’s on the line, gradually building tension — making the moment that Elinor finds out that Edward did not marry the other woman feel so satisfying and momentous.
Shannon Kunz is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the fall 2026 quarter. She can be reached at skunz1@uci.edu.
Edited by Travis Foley and Tracy Sandoval.
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