Persuasion is a 2022 American historical romance film inspired by Jane Austen's 1817 novel of the same name. The film was directed by Carrie Cracknell, and the screenplay was written by Ron Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow. The movie features Dakota Johnson, Cosmo Jarvis, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Richard E. Grant, and Henry Golding in key roles.

The film was shown in movie theaters in the United States on July 8, 2022. It became available to watch on Netflix, a streaming service, one week later on July 15, 2022.

Plot

Eight years have passed since Anne Elliot ended her engagement to Frederick Wentworth, who was then a young naval officer not well-known in society. He was seen as smart, confident, and driven, but his low social position and lack of money made Anne's friends and family believe he was not a good match for her. Lady Russell, a distant relative who acts as a mother figure to Anne after her own mother's death, also believed the relationship was unwise for someone so young and persuaded Anne to end the engagement.

Sir Walter Elliot, burdened by increasing debt, reluctantly agrees to rent their family home, Kellynch Hall, to Admiral Croft. Sir Walter, Anne’s sister Elizabeth, and Mrs. Penelope Clay, a widow, travel to Bath while Anne is told to care for her sick sister, Mary.

Admiral Croft and his wife arrive and reveal that Admiral Croft’s wife is Frederick Wentworth’s sister. During a visit to Mary, the Admiral, his wife, and Captain Wentworth are expected for dinner. Mary recovers in time for the meal, and Anne chooses to stay with Mary’s injured son instead of attending. Unaware of Anne and Wentworth’s past connection, one of Mary’s sisters-in-law, Louisa, encourages Anne to pursue Captain Wentworth but ends up pursuing him herself.

The group, including Mary’s family, Anne, Louisa, and Wentworth, travels to Lyme for a seaside holiday and meets some of Captain Wentworth’s naval friends, including Captains Benwick and Harville. Louisa clearly shows her interest in Wentworth, while Anne hides her feelings. Anne and Wentworth agree to be friends, and the group meets a man who seems interested in Anne. His identity is later revealed to be William Elliot, a family cousin who may inherit the estate.

Louisa, in an attempt to flirt, asks Captain Wentworth to catch her as she jumps down a staircase. She later tries the same act from a higher step, despite Wentworth’s warnings, and is seriously injured. Captain Benwick brings a doctor, and Mary decides to stay with Louisa while Anne returns to Bath.

In Bath, Anne meets William Elliot again, who begins to pursue her. He also explains that his goal in Bath is to prevent Anne’s father from marrying Mrs. Clay, as Mrs. Clay could have a son who might inherit the estate. Anne becomes upset when she learns that Louisa has become engaged to a naval captain after her recovery, assuming it is Wentworth. Wentworth arrives and shares that he has been offered a ship and is considering accepting it. Seeing William Elliot’s interest in Anne, Wentworth decides to take the position.

Mary’s family and Captain Harville arrive in Bath, and Anne learns that Louisa is engaged to Captain Benwick, whom she met during her recovery. Wentworth overhears Anne and Captain Harville discussing how men and women handle love and loyalty. Moved by Anne’s words about women not giving up love even when hope seems lost, Wentworth writes her a letter expressing his feelings and leaves. Anne follows him, and along the way, she sees William Elliot in a romantic embrace with Mrs. Clay.

Anne and Captain Wentworth confess their feelings for each other and embrace. William Elliot and Mrs. Clay marry. Later, Wentworth teaches Anne how to use a sextant as the couple looks out over the ocean, discussing their upcoming naval journey.

Production

In April 2021, it was announced that Dakota Johnson became part of the film's cast. Carrie Cracknell is directing the film, which is based on Jane Austen's novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Ron Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow, and Netflix will distribute the film. In May 2021, the following actors joined the cast: Henry Golding, Cosmo Jarvis, Richard E. Grant, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Ben Bailey Smith, Izuka Hoyle, Mia McKenna-Bruce, and Nia Towle. In June 2021, Edward Bluemel, Lydia Rose Bewley, and Yolanda Kettle also joined the cast. Principal photography started in May 2021.

Reception

On the website Rotten Tomatoes, which collects reviews, 30% of 138 critics gave positive reviews, with an average score of 5 out of 10. The website's consensus says: "Despite Dakota Johnson's best efforts, the film Persuasion is confusingly out of place in time and does not convince as a good adaptation of Austen's work." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 42 out of 100 from 37 critics, showing mixed or average reviews.

Variety's Peter Debruge said Carrie Cracknell tried to modernize the book, using ideas from Fleabag like breaking the fourth wall, but this, along with casting Dakota Johnson as Anne, took away the story's main conflict. Christy Lemire from the Roger Ebert website noted that Dakota Johnson showed her underused comic skills, but she said it's hard to care about Anne and Frederick Wentworth's relationship because Cosmo Jarvis's portrayal of Frederick is too stiff and lacks charm.

The Guardian's Stuart Heritage said modernizing the classic novel caused problems with dialogue that didn't fit the time and annoying camera glances. Vox's Constance Grady called the film an "absolute disaster." The Spectator's review said, "Everyone involved should be in prison."

Vanity Fair said the film didn't use breaking the fourth wall well, risking harm to the story by doing it unnecessarily and in a way that disrupted the narrative.