My Oxford Year Review
Director: Iain Morris
Date Created: 2025-08-01 20:31
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My Oxford Year Review: Directed by Iain Morris and based on Julia Whelan’s novel, this romance drama takes us to love, ambition, and tough life choices. Sofia Carson plays Anna De La Vega, a brilliant and ambitious American scholar who comes to Oxford to fulfil her academic aspirations. Corey Mylchreest joins her as Jamie Davenport, a witty and charming man who enters her life. The movie also stars Dougray Scott, Catherine McCormack, Harry Trevaldwyn, Esmé Kingdom, Nikhil Parmar, Poppy Gilbert and others. The Netflix film, which has a runtime of 112 minutes, takes us to a contemporary love story against the backdrop of Oxford.
My Oxford Year Review
Netflix My Oxford Year is a breezy, fluffy movie. A woman travels overseas, meets a dashing local guy, falls in love, and hits some bumps along the road. But as the movie continues, it is so much more. This is not just a romantic comedy movie—it’s also about how one lives when presented with the unexpected.
Personally, what I liked the most was the emotional journey of the characters in Netflix’s My Oxford Year. It begins as a traditional rom-com: Anna is focused, self-assured, and knows what she wants from her future. Jamie, who is free-spirited and spontaneous, enters, and the film takes a different turn. The film begins by asking questions as the relationship unfolds. Is love worth having if it is not going to be eternal? Do we always have to be safe in life, or risk it for happiness?
One of the things that I just loved about the film was how perfectly the film balanced tones. The film begins light and it begins light-hearted and playful, and then it escalates and gets darker emotionally. We learn that Jamie has a very serious secret—a secret that changes the course of their relationship. I just loved how the film never suddenly shifted into a melodrama. Instead, it rooted itself and gave us these sweet, subtle moments between the two leads that were true and authentic.
The chemistry between Sofia Carson and Corey Mylchreest is what truly makes the story work. While I did wish Sofia’s character, Anna, would be developed a bit more at the beginning, she does come into her own throughout the movie. To see her gradually open up her heart, along with redefining her values, was one of the stronger points of the movie. Mylchreest’s acting as Jamie, however, is just too adorable. He brings a quiet, introspective quality to the character that makes his scenes feel most impactful to me.
One other thing I learned from My Oxford Year Movie was how beautiful the location was. The film actually does justice to Oxford—its old buildings, peaceful parks, and old-fashioned cafes. It adds to the romanticism but not excessively. I also enjoyed the understated moments of British humour peppered throughout, which continued to sustain the light-hearted atmosphere even when the film becomes dark.
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Yes, I admit that the story is not that original. If you’ve watched some of the other romantic movies where one of the main characters is ill but never once informs anyone, then you’ll most likely be able to guess what the film is by now. But despite the less-than-original plot, I still was able to relate to the movie on an emotional level. I learned that sometimes it’s not so much about the plot as it is about the manner in which it’s presented. And in Netflix’s My Oxford Year, being in the moment is presented to perfection.
The ending, while bittersweet, didn’t feel forced. It was like the decisions we make in life, not so much about love, but about what we care about most. The last scenes, having Anna go through the places Jamie had always dreamed of going to someday, were understated yet effective. It didn’t need theatrics of epic proportions to make the point. Only in the scenes that read: “Life goes on, even after loss.”
But there were a couple of aspects that I did not necessarily relate to. At times, the pacing felt a little uneven. The change in Anna came a little too abruptly, particularly the manner in which she lost the job offer. I would have liked it if the movie took a little longer to show how that choice progressed in her mind. And although the romance between Cecelia and Jamie was interesting, it was not developed as deeply as it could have been.
Netflix My Oxford Year Review: Summing Up
Overall, I believe Sofia Carson’s My Oxford Year does a good job of giving us an emotional tale that makes you think. It may not be a perfect film, but it knows what it’s trying to say and says it well enough. Love doesn’t always make us happy. It sometimes just leaves us with memories and lessons. In short, the movie proves that the briefest seconds of life can be filled with significance.
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