Georgia Oakley's Sense and Sensibility is one of my favorite movies of 2026, if not the last few years. All I've wanted since the beginning of the year is to love this movie and Focus Features totally delivered. I loved it so much. Let's talk about it.
In case you're unfamiliar with Jane Austen's book, Sense and Sensibility primarily follows two of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles). Elinor is a little bit more withholding and steadier than her sister, and Marianne is very much someone who wears her heart on her sleeve, and is driven by emotion and passion.
Keep reading for Brit + Co's Sense and Sensibility movie review, and see the film for yourself in theaters October 16, 2026.
A quick refresher on what happens in 'Sense and Sensibility'.
Focus Features
Elinor and Marianne naturally butt heads quite a bit, as all sisters do, but they have to stick together when their father dies and their house is essentially invaded. Because they have no brothers, their entire property goes to their half-brother and his wife, and now their families are intertwined even more than they were before. This is not good because the wife, Fanny (Stacy Martin), is not friendly at all. But her brother Edward (George MacKay)? We definitely like him (And so does Elinor).
The Dashwood sisters move away with their younger sister Margaret (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) and their mother (Caitríona Balfe), and encounter all kinds of romance, heartbreak, and coming-of-age.
This is Jane Austen's most sensory story.
Daisy Edgar-Jones/Instagram/Amazon
My favorite thing about Sense and Sensibility, or at least one of my favorite things, is how cozy and textured the story is. I remember reading the book for the first time and literally reading it slowly because I didn't want it to end. And that's my favorite thing about being steeped in this world; it's so comfortable and familiar, and it's layered both emotionally and visually.
There are so many colors and textures, like I said, in the visuals of the film that I didn't want to blink. It was such a feast for the eyes, but the script was also a feast for the imagination and the heart.
A few shots left me literally gasping, and I covered my mouth or my heart multiple times. (If you can't tell, I've always related to Marianne). Fo much of the movie, I just sat there leaned forward in my seat. My theater laughed, cheered, and clapped! It was like watching the Super Bowl.
And I was literally on the edge of my seat.
Focus Features
This version of Sense and Sensibility is a little bit more raw and grounded than I think the 1995 version is. (Although it's important to note that the 1995 version is in my Letterboxd top four. Like, it's very serious to me.) But there's something about this new version that just feels grittier. These sisters really come across as scrappy, creative, independent women who are just trying to provide for each other and make a better life for themselves.
Throughout the story, there are so many moments that are still or slow, but it's an active stillness. There are shots of hands or just prolonged silences where the characters are just staring at each other and it made me a little emotional, and I'm not gonna lie. Those shots really got me. It's so sensory, with so much emphasis on nature and touch and sight. The story's always been autumnal to me, so October is the perfect month for its release.
And Daisy Edgar-Jones & the rest of the 'Sense and Sensibility' cast is incredible.
Focus Features
Edward is my one of my favorite of Jane Austen's male protagonists, and George MacKay as Edward is so genius. Yes, he yearns, but he also has this kindness and three-dimensional element to him that makes you believe that he has Edward's honor. I was very unfamiliar with Esmé Creed-Miles, but she knocked it out of the park when it came to Marianne. Daisy Edgar-Jones also totally convinced me to empathize and cheer for Elinor.
'Sense and Sensibility' is a beautiful exploration of sisterhood.
Focus Features
Now, there's one detail you might not have noticed about the story. The point of Sense and Sensibility is that from an outside view, Elinor has the sense and Marianne has the sensibility, and they're kind of unwilling to be flexible and change themselves, whether because of fear or independence. But throughout the film, we see them go through a few different circumstances that really break their hearts in more than one way. And the catalyst for Eleanor and Marianne's emotional arcs and their growth is their care for each other, which I think is so amazing because that's exactly how sisterhood works.
Elinor finally kind of loses her cool and breaks out of her shell to stand up for Marianne, and after finally seeing Elinor a little bit heartbroken and emotional, Marianne finally embraces a stableness she's never allowed herself to before because she understands that steadfastness isn't the lack of emotion. It's incredible to see their arcs switch.
Brit + Co gives Sense and Sensibility 5 out of 5 stars.
But overall, let me know your favorite Jane Austen story in the comments, and once you see the movie, let me know what you think about the new Sense and Sensibility. Follow Brit + Co on Facebook for all of the period drama news and movie news that you definitely don't want to miss.
