Though it isn’t much different narratively from Ang Lee’s 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, Georgia Oakley’s new adaptation shifts its soul and mood. Rather than framing marriage as the ultimate arrival point for happiness, Oakley centers the Dashwoods’ sisterly bond as the story’s true emotional core. Her direction is refreshingly far more visually tactile than the colorful and polished production design of the previous adaptation, with more uneven, realistic lighting on the characters. The score and the focus on the nature of the setting around them are the most immersive touches.

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles are the film’s greatest weapons, delivering electrifying screen presences, as well as a subtly wonderful Caitríona Balfe as the Dashwood matriarch. Across Normal People, Twisters, and now here, Edgar-Jones proves she is a rare generational talent, with an effortless, innate ability to pull audiences into her characters’ orbits without a single doubt. She physically nails the poise of an emotionally controlled older sister who is fiercely protective of others yet acutely aware of her own worth, quietly yearning for her own joy to arrive. Meanwhile, Creed-Miles beautifully portrays Marianne’s emotional openness, perfectly capturing how that same raw honesty exposes her to profound heartbreak.

Though the first half lacks momentum, the second act picks up significantly and makes us care deeply for Elinor and Marianne’s journey. Anyone familiar with the story or Jane Austen’s style knows that it’s all building up to a moment of catharsis, and when it comes, Edgar-Jones sells it so beautifully that the final act alone makes this the superior adaptation.