Sense and Sensibility is a 2026 period romantic drama film directed by Georgia Oakley from a screenplay by Diana Reid. It is based on the 1811 novel by Jane Austen. The film stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, Caitríona Balfe, Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum, George MacKay, and Fiona Shaw.

Sense and Sensibility was released in the United Kingdom on September 25, 2026, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on October 16. The film received generally positive reviews from critics.

Plot The Dashwood sisters - Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret - and their mother are forced to contend with possible poverty after Mr Dashwood's estate passes to their half-brother John Dashwood and his snooty wife Fanny. Fanny convinces John not to grant the sisters the inheritance his father suggested, and the pair quickly move into the estate, disrupting the sisters life. Fanny's eldest brother, Edward Ferrars, visits and quickly develops a deep bond with Elinor, to Fanny's chagrin. A distant relative of the Dashwood's, Mrs Jennings, visits and offers them a Devonshire cottage owned by her son-in-law, Sir John Middleton, for reduced rent, which Mrs Dashwood accepts. Elinor holds out hope that Edward will propose, but he merely promises to visit her soon.

In Devonshire, Marianne is interested by Mrs Jenning's stories about her family friend Colonel Brandon, but upon dining at the Middleton's finds him displeasing. Brandon, on the other hand, develops feelings for Marianne. Elinor is left confused and saddened as the only letter she receives from Edward is to inform her that he will not be visiting. One day, whilst Marianne and Margaret are playing in the sea, Marianne sprains her ankle and is rescued by the passer by John Willoughby, who she is instantly attracted to. The pair court, but on the day the family expect him to propose, he instead abruptly informs her he must travel to London and will not be returning.

Mrs Jennings invites the eldest Dashwood sisters to travel with her, Lady Middleton and her cousin Lucy Steele to London, where Edward will visit them. In London, Lucy, aware of Elinor and Edward's acquaintance, spitefully confides in Elinor that she and Edward have been secretly engaged for many years, and she hopes to marry him soon. Edward admits this to be true, revealing that they were betrothed by his parents for her wealth, and he honourably refused to break it off after she lost her fortune. After meeting Elinor, Edward had hoped Lucy would wish to end their betrothal as well, but she refused. Despite her heartbreak, Elinor accepts this outcome and agrees to keep their secret.

Willoughby does not visit the Dashwood's in London or reply to Marianne's letters, so she instead hopes to see him at a ball. However, he is unexpectedly accompanied by his betrothed, Miss Grey, and acts coldly towards Marianne. Marianne publicly humiliates herself in her anguish, but admits to Elinor that she and Willoughby were never actually engaged. She argues that, unlike Elinor, she cannot remain silently resigned to her situation. A letter from Colonel Brandon reveals that Willoughby seduced, impregnated, and then abandoned his sister-in-law Eliza, who later died alongside her unborn child.

The Ferrars family learns of Edward and Lucy's engagement, leading to him being disinherited and his younger brother Robert to be made heir instead. Impressed by Edward's moral fortitude, Colonel Brandon offers him the nearby parsonage, thus allowing him and Lucy to marry. In what is to be their final conversation, Elinor encourages Edward to do the honourable deed of marrying Lucy.

On the return journey from London, Mrs Jennings takes the Dashwood sisters and Colonel Brandon to visit her youngest daughter. Learning that Willoughby's new estate is nearby, Marianne goes out walking in the rain to see it and falls deathly ill shortly after returning. After several weeks of her illness, Elinor is unexpectedly visited by a drunk Willoughby, who confesses his love for Marianne and begs to see her. However, his dismissive attitude towards Eliza lessens Elinor's sympathy, and he is forcefully ejected by Brandon, who had left to collect Mrs. Dashwood. The Dashwood's watch from Marianne's room as Brandon challenges Willoughby to a duel, but both are unharmed, as Willougby missed and Brandon pointed to the sky. To everyone's surprise, Marianne is only worried about Brandon's wellbeing.

Marianne makes a successful recovery, and the group continue back to Devonshire. There, they learn that Lucy has become "Mrs Ferrars", and receive an unexpected visit from Edward, who seems to be there to declare his love for Elinor. Appalled by his lack of conduct, Elinor rejects him and sends him away. However, a later visit from Mrs Jennings reveal the truth, Lucy jilted Edward following his disinheriting and instead married his newly wealthy brother, Robert. Overjoyed, Elinor runs to Edward and declares her love for him, and the pair become engaged.

Cast Daisy Edgar-Jones as Elinor Dashwood Esmé Creed-Miles as Marianne Dashwood Caitríona Balfe as Mrs. Dashwood Bodhi Rae Breathnach as Margaret Dashwood Frank Dillane as John Willoughby Herbert Nordrum as Colonel Brandon George MacKay as Edward Ferrars Fiona Shaw as Mrs. Jennings Stacy Martin as Fanny Dashwood Tom Brooke as John Dashwood Turlough Convery as Sir John Middleton Chloe Pirrie as Lady Middleton Eliot Sumner as Mr Palmer Bethany Slater as Mrs Palmer Ceara Coveney as Lucy Steele

Production In June 2025, it was reported a film adaptation of Jane Austen's first novel Sense and Sensibility (1811) would be directed by Georgia Oakley for Working Title Films and Focus Features from a screenplay by Diana Reid. Producers include Working Title's Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, with India Flint of November Pictures and Jo Wallett of Kiddo Films. The cast is led by Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, and Bodhi Rae Breathnach.

Caitríona Balfe, Fiona Shaw, Frank Dillane, and George MacKay joined the cast in July 2025. Principal photography commenced in the United Kingdom that month.

Arnaud Potier served as cinematographer, Francesca Di Mottola served as production designer and Grace Snell served as costume designer, while Izabella Curry edited the film. Roger Goula was hired to compose the score for the film.

Release Sense and Sensibility had its world premiere at London's Leicester Square on September 15, 2026. The film was released theatrically on September 25, 2026, in the United Kingdom and will be released on October 16, 2026, in the United States.

Reception Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 72 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Robbie Collin of The Telegraph gave the film 5 out of 5 stars, declaring it a "wild and plangently beautiful successor" to Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility, as well as "Austen with the bonnets blown off".

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, concluding that "overall, the movie always looks and sounds perfectly good, though some of the sensibility is lacking".

References

External links