Look, I’ll admit it here: I’m not particularly well-read in Jane Austen, but I’m all in on period romances like Pride & Prejudice and Bridgerton. So, when I heard about the new Sense & Sensibility movie, I knew I had to carve out a night to check it out. And, wait, what? I just had one of my favorite watches from the 2026 movie releases (so far), and it has a lot to do with one aspect I really didn’t see coming.
I Came For The Romance, But Something Caught Me Off Guard
I’ve seen enough period romances like Sense & Sensibility to know that the genre just works for me. I love a rom-com, but there’s a certain extra romance about these old-timey stories that you lose in a modern-day setting. Like, rather than the guy texting the girl back, it’s thoughtful handwritten letters delivered on a horse-drawn carriage. You know what I mean.
Anyways, I went into Sense & Sensibility pretty much blind to what I was walking into, and wow! No one told me how genuinely funny it was going to be. This isn’t some stuffy period romance, and it doesn’t lean into goofy or outlandish territory either. It’s somehow grounded, epic, and giggle-worthy! I was not expecting to have a blast in my theater as we laughed along with the Dashwoods as they mostly find themselves unlucky in life and love, until things turn around. Now that I’ve experienced it, it’s exactly why it was the perfect time at the movies on a brisk fall evening.
It’s Such A Joyful Watch, And I Needed That
I think I’ll compare every Jane Austen movie to the 2006 version with Keira Knightley, because I think it’s an all-timer. With that in mind, I expected there to be a lot of yearning, long stares and distinguished exchanges between its British characters. It had all that, sure, but there’s a real lightness to Sense & Sensibility throughout that really cuts through some of the things about period romances that can sometimes be a drag. I’m by no means saying Pride & Prejudice is a drag next to this new Austen adaptation, but I do actually think it’s funnier and less broody than it.
You could feel that the filmmakers and actors had a real sense of the audience who’d enjoy the story, and were making successful efforts to bring levity to being women in that time period. All without taking me out of the escape. Sure, there’s the pain of heartbreak, confusion and desire that comes with the movie’s story of the Dashwood sisters, but it never sticks us in the mud for long. If you were like me and unsure about checking this one out, I hope I’ve curbed your uncertainty, and you treat yourself to its delight.
You can cozy up and watch Sense & Sensibility in theaters now. There’s even a very bookish popcorn bucket on sale in honor of its release. And, for anyone yelling through the screen for me to check out Emma Thompson’s version, I’m so ahead of you. I even found a way to see it for free.
