#REVIEW: “SENSE AND SENSIBILITY”

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

Daisy Edgar-Jones shines in this atmospheric adaptation of the beloved Jane Austen classic about love and sisterhood.

Elinor (Edgar-Jones) and Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles) Dashwood’s lives get turned upside down following the death of their father. His Will left their home to their estranged brother-in-law John (Tom Brooke) and his family. After living as guests in their family home, they eventually leave, moving to a cottage in Devonshire. It here that the reserved Elinor’s romantic interest in Edward (George MacKay) becomes tested and the emotional Marianne finds herself smitten with two very different blokes, the restrained Colonel Brandon (Herbert Nordrum) and the charismatic Willoughby (Frank Dillane).

Director Georgia Oakley and Screenwriter Diana Reid have taken on beloved material that already has one outstanding adaptation. 1995’s Sense and Sensibility is considered one of Austen’s great film adaptations that held indelible performances from Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. Fans of the material and the 1995 adaptation can rest easy, this charming story is in safe, durable hands.

Oakley takes an earthy atmospheric vision to this retelling of the Dashwood sisters. The opening shot shows Marianne, deep in thought, laying in a field with dirt under her nails. She is literally apart of the earth. This earthy atmosphere carries throughout the film especially as the family moves to the cottage. Unlike the 1995 version, this cottage is derelict. It’s a complete contrast to the mansion they had previously called home.

Much like Oakley’s tone for this Sense and Sensibility, the love they feel for their suitors is raw. Edgar-Jones is outstanding as the reticent Elinor. It’s a subtle performance, but her expressive eyes show the sister’s inner world ablaze with the love she restrains. A single look from Edgar-Jones conveys a swell of emotion. Unlike Elinor, Marianne is a firecracker of spirit. Unafraid to speak her mind and openly express her feelings. Creed-Miles is a force as the exuberant Marianne effortlessly showing her fearlessness and heartbreak.

This Sense and Sensibility isn’t reinventing a genre or changing the course of Cinema. And it doesn’t have to. It exists to bring joy to its audience, and it succeeds in its mission. We become swept away with the Dashwood Sisters and feel better leaving the cinema than we did going in.

Focus Features and Universal Pictures Canada release SENSE AND SENSIBILITY in cinemas on Friday, October 16, 2026.