“Sense and Sensibility” (2026) follows sisters Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Marianne Dashwood (Esmé Creed-Miles) as they navigate love, heartbreak, and financial setbacks in the Regency era of England (c. 1795 – 1837).
After their father passes away, the sisters, along with their mother (Caitríona Balfe) and youngest sister Margaret (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), are thrust into poverty when their father’s estate passes to their elder half-brother John (Tom Brooke). All would be well if not for John’s lack of backbone towards his snobbish wife Fanny (Stacy Martin), who directs him to withhold his sisters and stepmother’s inheritance and influences them to leave their former home as soon as possible.
The newest adaptation of the classic 1811 Jane Austen novel of the same name remains faithful to its source material while still finding ways to feel fresh. While the acclaimed 1995 film adaptation relied on a more restrained and elegant style of filmmaking, the 2026 adaptation is more visceral and tactile. It is a brilliant choice by director Georgia Oakley as it drives less comparison and more combability to its celebrated predecessor, perhaps offering a “Sensibility” lens opposites the 1995 version’s “Sense.”
This dichotomy of temperaments is present throughout the movie. Older sister Elinor embodies “sense,” approaching situations with prudence and restraint, as younger sister Marianne embodies “sensibility,” handling similar situations with passion and intensity. Both mentalities have their strengths, but the sisters find themselves suffering from falling into the extremes of their respective dispositions.
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Elinor’s restraint may grant her more stability in the family’s day-to-day uncertainty, but also costs her emotionally while watching love interest Edward Ferrars (George MacKay) stay true to his long-secret engagement to Lucy Steele (Ceara Coveney) out of duty, though he loves Elinor. Marianne’s passion enraptures her to fall in love with the equally spirited and handsome John Willoughby (Frank Dillane), but finds such fiery infatuations can end as rapidly as they began.
Through experiencing the heartache of love kept just out of reach and the weight of societal expectations on women of the time, the sisters discover their growth lies with balancing both sense and sensibility (the name of the story!).
They grow by not forfeiting their core personality, but enhancing their overall well-being by incorporating the fruits from the other sister’s nature.
The path of virtue
The balance of temperaments presented in “Sense and Sensibility” relates to the Christian’s journey of cultivating virtue to better be a disciple of Jesus. Paragraph 1803 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) describes virtues as, “…an habitual and firm disposition to do the good,” and quotes St. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-c. 394) to show where pursuing virtues should lead, “The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.”
However, the virtuous life is not easy. As shown by Elinor’s journey, one could practice the cardinal virtues of prudence and temperance, or right judgement and self-control, but also take them to an extreme and become rigid and reserved to the point of inaction.
Conversely, one could say that Marianne lives her life fortuitously with her heart on her sleeve, but her bravery turns to foolhardiness as she becomes a slave to her passions rather than uniting them to common sense.
Fortunately, Elinor and Marianne found how their true strength lies in balancing sense and sensibility, and Christians have access to a far greater gift in our pursuit of virtue: “Christ’s gift of salvation offers us the grace necessary to persevere in the pursuit of the virtues. Everyone should always ask for this grace of light and strength, frequent the sacraments, cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and follow his calls to love what is good and shun evil” (CCC 1811).
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Final Thoughts
I’m foregoing my normal “where it succeeded” and “where it fell short” sections because I believe “Sense and Sensibility” achieved its goal of providing a more sensory experience of the classic story. This is achieved technically with an independent cinematic style that uses real locations, more medium and close-ups of the actors, handheld camera moves, and pick-ups of trembling hands, the British countryside and its surrounding wildlife.
Among the costuming, score, hair and make-up, locations, acting, direction and cinematography, “Sense and Sensibility” draws you into the time period and the drama of the Dashwood’s lives.
It is rated PG for thematic elements, partial nudity, and brief violence. The partial nudity is in a non-sexual manner where you see Marianne’s bare back while bathing, and sensitive areas are not shown. The brief violence comes in a duel, where pistols are fired but results with no blood being spilled.
Though there are changes that occur while adapting a book into a movie, much of the dramatic and humorous elements of the novel Sense and Sensibility remain intact with only a few modifications and omissions to help emphasize certain themes, like the aforementioned duel between Col. Brandon (Herbert Nordrum) and Willoughby that is mentioned in passing in the novel yet reveals character traits of both men in its cinematic depiction.
While other films feel the need to adapt their source material with a “modern message,” this version of “Sense and Sensibility” relies on the themes that make the Jane Austen novel timeless.