If You Love “Pride And Prejudice,” You’ll Love These 11 Movies

Check out these recommendations if you’re looking for something new that will capture the same sense of sweeping romance found in Jane Austen’s classic novel.

Belle

Dido Belle Lindsay (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is the illegitimate daughter of a British nobleman, brought home to England to be raised by her uncle (Tom Wilkinson) and aunt (Emily Watson). Raised along with her cousin Lady Elizabeth Murray, Dido and Elizabeth navigate the dangerous waters of high society – all while Dido helps a handsome young lawyer (Sam Reid) with Great Britain’s abolition movement. A great Regency love story inspired by real figures.

Bright Star

Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), a flirty society girl, could not be more different from pensive and sensitive poet John Keats (Ben Wishaw). Despite objections from Fanny’s mother and Keats’ best friend, the two find themselves falling ever more deeply in love. But can Keats find literary success that will enable them to marry – and can Fanny wait for him? Bright Star is a melancholic romance based on a true story and interspersed with deliciously beautiful poetry.

The Young Victoria

Young Victoria (Emily Blunt) has been raised in isolation by her controlling mother, The Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson), and the head of her mother’s household, Sir John Conroy (Mark Strong). But when she inherits the throne of England and becomes the ruler of the world’s largest empire, Victoria must learn how to avoid the political schemes that everyone is laying for her. In a world where everyone sees her as a pawn in a political game, can Victoria trust the handsome Prince Albert’s (Rupert Friend) courtship? The Young Victoria captures one of the greatest true love stories ever written in the history books.

Sense and Sensibility

One of the greatest Austen film adaptations of all time, Sense and Sensibility follows the Dashwood sisters – Elinor (Emma Thompson), the sensible oldest daughter, and Marianne (Kate Winslet), the emotive and romantic younger. When they fall on hard times, the Dashwoods must move out to the country, away from the wealthy Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant), whom Elinor secretly loves. But when several eligible bachelors fall for Marianne, Elinor must try to help her headstrong sister make the correct choice. A heartwarming tale of romance and sisterly love that is perfect for a movie night with your girlfriends.

War and Peace

Set in the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, this miniseries adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s epic novel follows Natasha’s (Lily James) journey to find love, as her story interweaves with valiant soldier Andrei (James Norton) and kind-hearted intellectual Pierre (Paul Dano). Though this miniseries does contain some mature content to watch out for, overall, it tells a sweeping romantic tale of the path to find true love.

Emma

There are many good versions of Austen’s Emma, but I will always be a die-hard fan of Gwyneth Paltrow’s 1996 film version. Clever busybody Emma Woodhouse (Gwyneth Paltrow) is trying to set up her low-born friend Harriet (Toni Collette) in a successful match. Family friend Mr. Knightley (Jeremy Northam) doesn’t approve of Emma’s matchmaking, though, and pretty soon Emma begins to wonder if she has gotten in way over her head. 

North & South

If you love Pride and Prejudice for its enemies-to-lovers plotline, you’ll love this story set in the colder climes of North England. Margaret Hale (Daniela Denby-Ashe) is bitter when her father moves their family north to the industrial town of Milton on a matter of conscience. She despises even more the town’s leading factory-owner, John Thornton (Richard Armitage), but will their culture clash spark something between them?

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Juliet (Lily James) is a successful author looking for a more serious story to tell in her next novel now that World War II is over. Then Juliet receives a letter from Dawsey (Michael Huisman), a farmer on the island of Guernsey who has come across a used copy of Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare, which Juliet once owned. As their correspondence continues, and Dawsey tells about Guernsey’s occupation by the Nazis during the war, Juliet becomes convinced that she must meet Dawsey and the literary society he has formed on the island. Based on an epistolary novel of the same name, this is the perfect romance for book lovers.

Brooklyn

One of the rare instances where I prefer a film to the book it’s based on, Brooklyn tells the story of Irish girl Eilis (Saoirse Ronan), who immigrates to New York in pursuit of work. There, she meets charming Italian boy Tony (Emory Cohen), but when Eilis is called back home to Ireland to help her mother, she catches the eye of wealthy bachelor Jim Farrell (Domhnall Gleeson), and she becomes torn between the old world she loves and the new world she has made for herself. If you’ve ever made a big move and fallen in love with a new part of the world, this is the romance for you.

Love & Friendship

A clever adaptation of Jane Austen’s unfinished epistolary novel Lady Susan, Love & Friendship tells the story of the conniving and recently widowed Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale) and her troubled daughter Frederica (Morfydd Clark) as they search for marriage and security. Risque just under the surface of Austen’s clever plotting, Love & Friendship brings a touch of modern style to the Regency world that fans of Bridgerton will adore.

Miss Scarlet & The Duke

Eliza Scarlet’s (Kate Phillips) father has died, and she longs to take over his private detective business, much to the chagrin of family friend and police detective William “Duke” Wellington (Stuart Martin). As Eliza works to earn a name for herself, she and Duke clash over cases – and try to keep each other alive as they venture into the seedy underbelly of Victorian London. If you like a slow-burn romance with murder mysteries as the backdrop, this show is for you.

Closing Thoughts

Finished Pride and Prejudice and need something to fill the Pemberly-shaped hole in your heart? Check out these films for a fun evening of epic period romances.

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