Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is very much in a meta universe of its own. In fact, the screening I attended was mainly filled with women from the Jane Austen Society of North America – Minnesota. So, this movie and its audience really knows how to immerse you in the world.

Inside and out this movie is a romcom that is almost “word” for “word” copies of its source materials. Said source materials are all of Jane Austen novels and if you haven’t read them, or seen the movie adaptations, you might be a little lost throughout. Referencing character names and utilizing those beats to humor that audience could hold a lot of people hostage. If you can get beyond that, you’re in for a decent time.

This is a very cozy film. Using an old world romance in modern times actually quite works because of the down to earth characters. It may be a fantasy for them, but mainly just feels like the UK to US. Camille Rutherford as Agathe was quite stubborn to watch but she makes sense for the story to unfold in the way that it does. The comedy comes first, sometimes at a fault because of the out of tone feeling it brings and I wasn’t too fond of the “code switching”. If there would have been more situational comedy instead of spit, puke, and tripping humor, I would be saying this is one of the better comedies of the year.

The contrast of this being rated R to the setting was actually a pleasant surprise. I’m glad it wasn’t shy in many aspects because some romcoms can be way too tame. You can tell The Shining was a reference point (no I won’t expand) and the sticky situations held my attention when the romantic spark began to decline. 

This won’t be long lasting for most but if you’re in a book club or over the age of 55, this is the perfect 2025 move for you.

6/10