SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (2026)

The makers of the new SENSE AND SENSIBILITY not only follow in the footsteps of the ever-beloved author, but also loosen the stays of social convention to bring female emancipation and the strength of sisterhood to the fore. At the same time, they delve into the intricacies of the Georgian mindset, exploring a conflict between feeling and reason that does not always resolve itself into the reassuring shape of a happy ending.

After Mr Dashwood’s death, his second wife and three daughters are forced to leave the family estate. Under the inheritance laws of the time, his property passed to a male heir – in this case, his son from his first marriage. The Dashwood sisters are left dependent on the goodwill of relatives and acutely aware that marriage remains the only socially acceptable route to security. The two eldest, the sensible Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones, acclaimed for her performance in WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING) and the more impulsive Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles, known from HANNA and THE SANDMAN), must navigate both the expectations of a society in thrall to etiquette and the complications of their own hearts.

Director Georgia Oakley (LITTLE BIRD, BLUE JEAN) once again displays a striking command of style, rooted in the visual language of European cinema – from French intimacy to the acute observation of human behaviour associated with Spanish film. A certain sensuality runs through the work of the BAFTA-nominated British filmmaker, yet there is little room for formula or prettification.

Historical context, queer sensitivity and close attention to character psychology become her routes into social questions that remain strikingly relevant. Working with Australian screenwriter Diana Reid, Oakley refracts the timeless emotions and romantic entanglements of the Dashwood sisters through a realist lens as they search for a place of their own in the world.

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Text: Paula Apanowicz