All Jane Austen Movies & Shows (Since 1990), Ranked
Jane Austen might have only published six novels in her lifetime, but they have all been hugely influential in shaping our cultural imagination of the Regency era while remaining timeless in their depiction of slow-burn romance and female independence.
While Austen’s works were adapted for the screen as early as the 1940s, the 1990s saw a surge in adaptations that produced some of the best to date. In between then and now, some very well-known modernised adaptations — including Bridget Jones’s Diary and Clueless — brought Austen’s style of storytelling to new audiences. But now, in the 2020s, period-faithful Austen adaptations are back.
2026 has already seen the release of The Other Bennet Sister, a BBC limited series based on Janice Hadlow’s novel imagining the life of the overlooked Mary Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, as well as a gorgeous big-screen adaptation of Sense and Sensibility starring Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones. And speaking of Pride and Prejudice, we’re also getting a new Netflix series based on the famed novel later this year.
But with over a dozen adaptations of Jane Austen’s works since 1990 and counting, there are enough to require guidance around which iterations are worth a watch and which can be skipped. Let’s sort the wheat from the chaff so you can treat yourself to the crème de la crème of Jane Austen adaptations in the last 30 or so years.
To be honest, I actually enjoyed watching 2022's Persuasion when it first came out. It scratched the generic romantic film itch for me, but I do understand why critics were so harsh on it—especially as a Jane Austen adaptation.
Dakota Johnson does a fine job playing Anne Elliot, but the decision to give the script a modern touch starts to grate almost immediately. Anne is constantly quipping and breaking the fourth wall to deliver wry monologues to the camera, making a very different protagonist from the quiet and regretful one from the book or the stellar 1995 adaptation. Cosmo Jarvis makes a suitably handsome and withholding Mr Wentworth, but it’s just too hard to get past the choice to drastically alter Anne’s character in such a heavy-handed way to make up for it.
The Sanditon series is based on Jane Austen’s final novel of the same name. However, since the novel was never completed, the source material was only enough for the first episode. After that, it was all improv, which unfortunately shows.
Over three seasons, Rose Williams does a spirited job bringing Charlotte Heywood through several romances, and the ups and downs of Sanditon itself. However, without a solid foundation created by Jane Austen, the series loses touch with her overall spirit and wit. While Sanditon is still entertaining if you’re craving a bit of period romantic drama, it does not carry the subtler, delicate qualities that make up the substance of Austen’s best work.
This four-part miniseries based on Emma is fine overall, but pales in comparison to the other adaptations of the story.
Emma Woodhouse is played well by Romola Garai, but Jonny Lee Miller does not quite succeed in portraying Mr Knightley as the stand-up guy from the novel. The adapted script is a bit clunky, and the narration becomes annoying over time—so the actors clearly didn’t have the best foundation to work with. However, the benefit of a miniseries is that you get the chance to be immersed in the story for longer. Finer details from the novel are represented, so 2009’s Emma is still worth a watch if you really love the story.
Northanger Abbey is made infinitely better by Felicity Jones and Carey Mulligan’s great performances, but it doesn’t quite measure up to the high standard set by other Austen adaptations.
Through no fault of the filmmakers, it’s clear this production didn’t have that big of a budget. The result is a bit of a campy vibe I’m not sure brings out the best in an Austen adaptation. However, it is still a fun watch and remains mostly faithful to the book. Jones does an admirable job playing Catherine Morland, and John Thorpe, played by William Beck, is truly one of Austen’s most loathsome characters; this adaptation absolutely does him justice. Meanwhile, Mulligan is perfect as Catherine’s teenage frenemy, Isabella Thorpe.
Mansfield Park is not one of Austen’s best novels, it has to be said, so it is to be expected that any film adaptation, such as this 1999 version, would need to do some clever trimming and reupholstering to give it a chance to really shine.
Director Patricia Rozema does an admirable job of giving the, let’s be real, dull protagonist Fanny Price a bit more flair as a writer, mixing in Austen’s letters as Fanny’s narrated observations to fill the void in her character. Overall, the film is enjoyable while taking some steep yet necessary liberties from the source material.
While the 1996 adaptation of Emma might have been bested by the 2020 version, it is still worthy of praise… and I will always carry a special affection for this one because it’s the first Austen adaptation I ever saw.
The careless but well-meaning Emma is played by Gwyneth Paltrow, who does a brilliant job bringing out the character’s more arrogant side. She’s accompanied by a stellar cast, including Ewan McGregor as the caddy Mr Churchill, Toni Collette as the hapless Harriet, and Juliet Stevenson as the impossibly smug Mrs Elton.
In contrast to the 2020 film’s bold colours, this Emma goes for a softer palette that adds a warm quality to the setting. There are also some truly fun scenes, like when Emma and Mr Knightley fight while shooting arrows. Overall, it’s a solid adaptation that strays a bit more into the 90s rom-com feel than others.
Love & Friendship is a unique Austen adaptation on several levels. Based on her novella Lady Susan, which she never submitted for publication, Love & Friendship displays a level of experimentation from Austen that makes it feel different from the rest of her work.
The story is built around a notorious flirt, Lady Susan Vernon, whose motives are not exactly honourable. Played superbly by Kate Beckinsale, Susan is a recent widow scheming to remarry while maintaining an affair with a married man. She also seeks to marry off her 16-year-old daughter, Federica, whom she doesn’t much like, at the same time. In other adaptations, Austen’s wry humour, dry observations, and juicy gossip get somewhat eclipsed by the wingspan of the overarching love story. In Love & Friendship they take a main role; so if, like me, you are particularly fond of those delightfully biting elements, this is a must-watch adaptation.
While the 2008 Sense and Sensibility lives somewhat in the shadow of Ang Lee’s 1995 film, it’s still a great retelling of one of Austen’s best novels.
The miniseries format allows the story to breathe, giving each character enough screen time to really feel known and understood. Charity Wakefield and Hattie Morahan as Marianne and Elinor Dashwood, respectively, do their parts justice, conveying both the naive passion and yearning of their characters convincingly.
While Dominic Cooper’s Willoughby might go a little further in his seduction tactics than in the book, and Dan Stevens’ Edward Ferrars is a bit more assertive, ultimately, this is a fantastic adaptation that remains true to Austen’s spirit.
At the risk of repeating ourselves, this new adaptation of Sense and Sensibility (from Blue Jean director Georgia Oakley) mightn't surpass Ang Lee and Emma Thompson's 1995 masterpiece (what can?), but it's a beautifully realised addition to the Austen screen canon that more than earns its place on our list.
Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles (daughter of Samantha Morton, don't you know) lead a fantastic cast that mixes legendary thesps (like Fiona Shaw) with charismatic up-and-comers (like Frank Dillane). Oakley also approaches the text with an unmistakably contemporary vibe while still remaining fully fateful to it — which is no mean feat.
Check this one out if you're in the mood for some serious yearning. The chemistry between Edgar-Jones and George MacKay (as her Edward) is to die for.
While the 1995 BBC miniseries is, in my opinion, the definitive adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, the 2005 film starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen is a close second.
If you don’t have time for the long-haul with the miniseries but still want to experience the dazzling rollercoaster of emotions Pride and Prejudice offers, this is the film to watch. Well paced, beautifully shot, and full — I mean, positively overflowing — with yearning looks from Macfadyen's Darcy in Elizabeth’s direction, this film takes you at a steady clip through the unlikely love story between two people who deeply, grudgingly, respect each other — each coming to their inevitable conclusion in one of the most iconic slow-burns to ever be committed to page or film.
