Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility (2026): A Mishmash of a Jane Austen Adaptation

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Sense and Sensibility” is directed by Georgia Oakley (Bored, Blue Jean) and stars Daisy Edgar-Jones (Twisters, Normal People), Esmé Creed-Miles (Hanna, The Doll Factory), Caitríona Balfe (Ford v Ferrari, Outlander), Frank Dillane (Urchin, Fear the Walking Dead), Herbert Nordrum (The Worst Person in the World, The Hypnosis), George MacKay (Marrowbone, 1917), and Fiona Shaw (Ammonite, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone). This film is based on Jane Austen’s book of the same name and is about sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood as they are forced to leave their estate to live with a distant relative, while also taking on romantic and financial struggles.

Movies are more fun. Sorry, books!

Those of you who followed me a long time may have come across a post of mine where those exact words are mentioned. Based on the typing of this very phrase, this should likely hint that I do not have the greatest fanaticism for Jane Austen’s bibliography. In fact, I read “Pride and Prejudice” in high school, and became increasingly exhausted with it page after page. Austen’s style is not for me, nor is that particular genre of book. By extension, I have not checked out many of the Jane Austen film adaptations. That said, maybe I am not giving them the fairest shot. I did check out “Emma.” in 2020 and had a lot of fun with it. Maybe I was just in the right place at the right time, as I got to see the film at a press screening before it came out. In fact, at said screening, star Anya Taylor-Joy and director Autumn de Wilde happened to be there promoting the project. Plus, the place was crowded, and likely packed with Jane Austen diehards.

As for “Sense and Sensibility,” I saw this film during its official release. I had no one behind the scenes in the room who could potentially influence me to think a certain way. Though the theater was crowded. That is something these two screenings had in common.

Having now seen “Sense and Sensibility,” it is… Okay.

I do not have a girlfriend, but if I did have a girlfriend who wound up dragging me to this movie as I beg her to go with me to see “Primetime” instead, I would walk out of this movie saying, “That was good.” I would not be lying, nor would I be exaggerating. The movie is technically good. Not great, but good.

That said, if my imaginary girlfriend did successfully get me to go to this movie, our relationship would be on the verge of disaster for the first 30, 40 minutes or so. The pacing in this film is sometimes rough. There is a saying that you do not have a second chance to make a first impression. This film is quite slow at the beginning. It takes a long time for things to truly get into gear. To me, this is almost a reverse of Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women,” because both films, while not the exact same in terms of setting, offer fairly similar vibes. I found myself invested in “Little Women” at the beginning and it got progressively more boring. “Sense and Sensibility” is a movie that I initially found disengaging only for things to turn around in acts two and three.

As the movie went on, I was surprisingly into the drama at hand. I am not going to pretend this movie is an all-timer or that I will remember it for as long as I live, but in the moment, it was engaging. As someone who never read the book, I was amazed with how much material the film threw at the screen in just a matter of 132 minutes. It really keeps you on your toes. I know I said this movie was boring at the beginning, but the film’s commitment to quantity, on top of adapting a novel many readers have found to be quality, make for something watchable.

That said, while the film is not short on drama, it appears to have a slight identity crisis. I am not saying that you cannot have levity or comic relief in a drama. It can work if done right. But in the midst of this somewhat serious narrative, there are a couple characters who sound like they are in a sitcom. One of these characters include Mrs. Jennings (Shaw). Watching Mrs. Jennings interact with almost every other character in this film reminded me of what it felt like watching Jar Jar Binks interact with just about anyone else in “The Phantom Menace.” Granted, while she gave an odd vibe, she was not quite as annoying as Jar Jar. Though it does not change the fact that she came off as if she belonged in a different universe compared to those around her.

This is not to suggest that every performance in “Sense and Sensibility” doesn’t work. The ones that are perhaps most important to the story stand out in a positive light. George MacKay does a good job as Edward Ferrars. Caitríona Balfe plays Mrs. Dashwood with conviction. Perhaps most importantly, the chemistry between the two main sisters is on point. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles kill it as Elinor and Marianne Dashwood respectively.

Technically speaking, the film is not too bad looking. Arnaud Potier is responsible for the film’s cinematography, and he never misses on the framing. Each shot is full of detail and does as best it can to immerse me into the world. That said, the world itself is a bit questionable. The color palette of the film probably could have been punched up. It could have been given a little more life. Everything from the color grading to the costumes to maybe even some of the sets. Again, this is a drama. Perhaps the color matches the film’s somewhat serious vibe, but it lacks a certain personality. The work that went into the film’s costumes and production design clearly took a certain amount of effort, and it led to something that one can describe as consistent. I just think it needed a different flavor. This feels too depressing. It feels like what the Hot Topic version of this story would be.

Courtesy of Focus Features – © 2026 FOCUS FEATURES LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

In the end, “Sense and Sensibility” is a bit of mishmash. I may sound like I am complaining about certain things in the film. But the reality is that the film does very well in certain regards, but lacks the same luster in others. I cannot compare this to Jane Austen’s book. Truth be told, this is not a book I would willingly read in my spare time. But if I happened to be in the shoes of someone who were to read this book in their spare time, part of me thinks I would most likely find this adaptation to work to a certain degree. Though I would probably also imagine myself saying the book is better. The movie mostly has good performances and an engaging back half. It is by no means the worst film of the year, but not the best either. I am going to give “Sense and Sensibility” a 6/10.

“Sense and Sensibility” is now playing in theaters everywhere. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! For those looking forward to the next episode of Scene Before’s Movie Requests, I am happy to announce it is going to feature “Adam Ruins Everything” star Adam Conover! In addition, you know Conover from his comedy specials including “Unmedicated” and “Big Divorce Energy.” He is also known for his work on “The Crystal Maze,” “The G Word with Adam Conover,” as well as his podcast “Factually! with Adam Conover.” Click the video to watch the short promo, featuring Conover give a hint as to which film he suggested. That film will be revealed Monday, November 2nd here on Flicknerd.com and YouTube! As a reminder, please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you want to see new episodes of Movie Requests as soon as they drop!

My next review is going to be for “Whalefall.” Stay tuned! Also coming soon, I will be sharing my thoughts on “Wildwood,” “Clayface,” and “You Can See Everything.” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Sense and Sensibility?” What did you think about it? How does this compare to other “Sense and Sensibility” adaptations, in addition to Jane Austen’s book? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

Emma (2020): Such News! This Movie’s Solid!

Posted on by Jack Drees

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“Emma” is directed by Autumn de Wilde and this is her feature-length debut. This film stars Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, Thoroughbreds), Johnny Flynn (Song One, Beast), Josh O’Connor (The Crown, Florence Foster Jenkins), Callum Turner (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, The Only Living Boy in New York), Mia Goth (Nymphomaniac, High Life), Miranda Hart (Spy, Miranda), and Bill Nighy (Norm of the North, Underworld). This film is based on a Jane Austen novel of the same name and follows its titular character as a selfish woman living in 1800s England. Throughout said time, she is revealed to be meddling in the love lives of the people she happens to know.

When I created Scene Before, my original intention for the blog was to give my honest thoughts on various matters. And to be completely truthful, this movie is not my cup of tea. In fact, the main reason why I went to see it is because there was a free screening at a local indie theater where Anya Taylor-Joy and director Autumn de Wilde happened to be appearing. I figured it would make for a fun night out. But when it comes to original material this movie is based on, I was never previously invested. In fact, I have a feeling this is going to piss off some bibliophiles reading this, Jane Austen wrote the book that I had the most miserable experience reading in high school, specifically “Pride and Prejudice.” I never found it that interesting, entertaining, or compelling. It was the complete opposite of a page-turner, but I was forced to read it, so I had no choice but move along. When it comes to “Emma,” I have never picked the book up. However, I was somewhat interested in this movie. In fact, if anything, this trailer right here PUMPED. ME. UP! Watch this trailer!

 

The music! The cuts! The fast-pace of it all! Whoever edited this deserves some toilet paper and hand sanitizer to get through this dire time!

However, that’s just a trailer. How was the movie itself? Pretty decent, actually. While “Emma” is undoubtedly nowhere near my cup of tea as far as stories go, I found myself chuckling, smiling, and overall having a fun time watching this movie. And a lot of it may have to do with the attention to detail of everything in it. The production design could eventually go down as some of my favorite of the year. The colors are vibrant and match the charm of this movie’s specific time frame. The performances, across the board, are well executed. The ensemble of “Emma” is well put-together. If this were a silent film, I don’t think I’d be able to remove my eyes away from the screen just from how hypnotizing everything feels. It’s easy to tell that Autumn de Wilde brought her vision to life, or depending on who you ask, Jane Austen’s vision to life. In fact, before she took on “Emma” she dived deep into photography, which may partially signify how a lot of the movie’s individual frames feel like a painting or something you’d find hanging in an art gallery. The cinematography in the film at various points is extremely pretty. I am not lying. As for costume design, that is another highlight. Granted, when it comes to movies that take place in a period or setting like this, it is not that surprising that costume design is a key factor into what could make the movie at least partially work.

This is not the first “Emma” adaptation brought to the screen, but given how I have not seen the other adaptations of this kind, I don’t really have much to compare it to. But I feel that if I were to read the original novel of “Emma,” I would at least be somewhat satisfied by the writing style of this adaptation, given how it is true to the period, and the vibe of the film has a rather witty feel to it. Jane Austen is an author who seems to bring an individual feel to her stories, and that seems to be translated well here. Granted, when I read “Pride and Prejudice,” the writing style made it one of the most infuriating experiences of my time on this planet. But a movie like this, brings life to said writing style and evokes a sense of imagination.

Fun fact about the Emma character, when she was being portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy, the actress thought she kind of came off as an unlikable being. Granted, that is kind of the point. And knowing what the movie is about and what it exactly contains, I can understand why. But at the same time, Emma is a character who I consider to admirable despite how selfish or manipulative she happens to be. Part of it may go towards the way the movie presents her and how I cannot imagine anyone else in Emma’s shoes except Anya Taylor-Joy. The casting for Emma herself was very well done given how there happens to be some sort of individualistic flair attached to said character.

As for problems, while this film is well-paced, it still has one or two moments where it is kind of a drag compared to others. Regarding the movie itself, it is somewhat forgettable. I may be cheating with this given how I am reviewing this almost a full month after seeing it in the theater, but this is a story that I do not think I’ll want to tune into again while it is still fresh in my memory. Granted, Comcast-owned studios, including Focus Features, the distributor of “Emma,” just so happen to be putting their movies that were supposed to be in theaters onto VOD, so I could watch it again at home if I really wanted to, but “Emma” is not a movie that I felt an instant connection to. I just thought to myself, “Eh, that was a fun couple of hours.” Maybe the novel is better. Because, you know, apparently every book is SUPPOSED to be better than the movie. The “Emma” movie is witty, charming, and marvelous to gaze upon, but it’s missing something. It has the vision, it has the individualistic style, but it doesn’t have the oomph factor I want in movies nowadays.

In the end, I found myself rather satisfied with “Emma.” I don’t think this satisfaction will ever encourage me to read the book, but at the same time, the experience I had while watching the movie in a pretty full theater could have been a contributing factor to making it feel somewhat communal. By the way, remember when we went to movie theaters? It was a long time ago! “Emma” is not my cup of tea, and I think this review kind of shows it. However, I will not deny that I indeed had a good time. I’m going to give “Emma” a 7/10.

Thanks for reading this review! I just want to let you all know that my next review is going to be for Pixar’s new movie “Onward.” By the way, if you want to watch the movie before I review it, it is coming to digital tonight due to all the theaters shutting down. So if you want to rent it and read my review if you want to see where we stand in terms of our thoughts on the film, feel free to chill out on your couch, go to a preferred digital service whether it be Prime Video, Fandango Now, Google Play, or Vudu, and you’ll have access for the movie, that way you can watch it and determine your thoughts on it before reading my review. That is unless I somehow list my thoughts for “Onward” before the movie drops everywhere, but we shall see. Be sure to follow Scene Before either with an email or WordPress account so you can tuned for more great content! Also, since you clearly have all the time in the world, be sure to check out the Scene Before Facebook page to get the latest updates of the goings on for the Movie Reviewing Moron. Hey, that rhymes! I want to know, did you see “Emma?” What did you think about it? Or, did you see any of the other adaptations of “Emma?” What are your thoughts on those? Did you read the book? Give me your thoughts on that! Leave your thoughts and opinions down below, and stay safe everyone! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!