There have been a lot of great rom-coms so far on the 2025 movie schedule, with the likes of Materialists and The Wedding Banquet generating a lot of buzz. Though those, and multiple others that have come out this year, have been outstanding, there’s one movie that no one seems to be talking about. That should change, like right now. Seriously, go watch Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Looking around for a new or recent movie streaming this past weekend, my wife and I came across this lovely little French film by first-time filmmaker Laura Piani that follows a bookseller and aspiring writer as she is invited to the Jane Austen Residency for a writing retreat. Oh, what a quiet, patient, and funny romantic comedy this was. And this is coming from a guy who isn’t the biggest Austen fan…
This Patient, Touching, And Oftentimes Hilarious Rom-Com Hit On So Many Levels
I don’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t yet watched Jane Austen Wrecked My Life, but there are some basic bits of information that I find interesting (and not spoilery in any way). Basically, the movie follows Agathe Robinson (Camille Rutherford), a Parisian bookseller still coming to terms with her parents’ deaths in a car wreck a few years earlier, as she earns a spot at the writing retreat after drunkenly penning two chapters about a woman who falls in love with a man whose face is at the bottom of a sake cup.
What follows is a patient, touching, and oftentimes hilarious story about love, loss, and new beginnings, especially with the introduction of Oliver (Charlie Anson), the great-great-great-great-nephew of Jane Austen and essentially the movie’s version of “Mr. Darcy.” All of these different aspects work together to create a charming and unforgettable experience like no other.
No One Seems To Be Talking About Jane Austen Wrecked My Life, Which Is A Shame
Jane premiered along with the tender and surprisingly funny We Live in Time at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival before opening here in the United States this May, but outside of a few TikToks or blog posts, there hasn’t been that large of a conversation about it, which is a crying shame. This seems like a movie the cinephile crowd would eat up, digest, and talk about in perpetuity, yet it’s largely overlooked (I guess it flew too far under the radar).
The entire time my wife and I were watching this 90-minute romantic comedy about a woman trying to figure out what she wants in life (both in terms of creativity and romance), I kept thinking to myself: “How did I not hear about this? Why don’t more people know about this movie?”
Nothing Against Other 2025 Rom-Coms, But This Is One I'm Going To Be Thinking About For A Long Time
Though the Materialists closing credits gave me perhaps the best theatrical experience of the year, and while going back to one of Renee Zellweger’s best characters in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy was so much fun, I honestly think Jane is going to be the 2025 rom-com I keep going back to as time goes by.
It’s not just the romance (which gets messy in all the best ways), but instead its statements about loss, grief, rebirth, and artistic expression. There are long monologues and dialogues throughout this movie where characters go on about the meaning of art, and I’m just here for it 100 percent.
You won’t find Jane Austen Wrecked My Life on any of the best streaming services right now, but you can use your Amazon subscription to rent or buy it on VOD.
