Persuasion Review: Netflix’s Modern Jane Austen Adaptation Misses The Mark

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Few authors have earned the kind of reputation that Jane Austen has. Her works still spark passion and interest among modern readers, and just the name Austen conjures a certain style and tone. It's no surprise that the team over at Netflix, which has already found period romance success with Bridgerton, would wish to entice audiences with a fresh adaptation of Persuasion, Austen's last novel. Director Carrie Cracknell and screenwriters Ron Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow have chosen to approach this novel in a way that has already confounded Austen fans: By giving it 2022 sensibilities. Though Dakota Johnson makes for a winning Anne Elliot, Persuasion struggles to recapture Austen's magic in its desire to inject a modern touch.

Rather than beginning at the start of a relationship, Persuasion picks up years after the end of one. Sensible and humble Anne (Johnson) was engaged to a poor naval officer, Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis), at a young age. But despite their strong bond, she was persuaded to end their relationship due to his seemingly insufficient prospects. Now in her late 20s, Anne finds herself thrown back into Wentworth's life when her family is forced to vacate their expensive home. Suddenly faced with all she has lost, Anne must decide whether to finally follow her heart or officially move on. Unbeknownst to her, Wentworth is grappling with the same issues.

Related: Dakota Johnson Is A Modern Day Jane Austen Heroine In Persuasion Trailer

When translating a beloved novel to the screen, it should be assumed that changes will be made, and that is okay. Very few books can be adapted faithfully, especially when it comes to one that relies so much on internal thoughts like Persuasion. To work around this, Bass