Persuasion is a 2022 American historical love story film based on Jane Austen's 1817 novel of the same name. The film was directed by Carrie Cracknell and written by Ron Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow. It features actors Dakota Johnson, Cosmo Jarvis, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Richard E. Grant, and Henry Golding.

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

Plot

It has been 8 years since Anne Elliot ended her engagement to Frederick Wentworth, who at the time was a young naval officer with no notable achievements. He was seen as smart, confident, and driven, but his low social standing and lack of money led Anne’s friends and family to believe he was not a good match for her. Additionally, Lady Russell, a distant relative who acts as a mother figure to Anne after her own mother passed away, thought the relationship was unwise for someone so young and encouraged Anne to end the engagement.

Sir Walter Elliot, struggling with increasing debt, reluctantly agrees to rent out their family home, Kellynch Hall, to Admiral Croft. Sir Walter, Anne’s sister Elizabeth, and the widowed Mrs. Penelope Clay travel to Bath, while Anne is asked 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, Admiral Croft, 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, such as Captains Benwick and Harville. Louisa’s interest in Wentworth is clear, while Anne tries to hide her feelings. Anne and Wentworth agree to be friends, and the group meets a mysterious man who seems to be interested in Anne. Later, they learn his name is William Elliot, a family cousin who may inherit the estate.

Louisa, trying to impress Wentworth, jumps down a staircase and is injured when she attempts the same action from a higher step. 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 would inherit the estate. Anne becomes upset when she learns that Louisa has become engaged to a naval captain, thinking it is Wentworth. Wentworth arrives and shares that he has been offered a ship and is considering accepting it. After seeing William Elliot’s interest in Anne, Wentworth decides to take the position.

Mary’s family and Captain Harville arrive in Bath, and Anne discovers 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, Wentworth writes her a note expressing his feelings and leaves. Anne follows him, seeing William Elliot in a romantic moment with Mrs. Clay along the way.

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 watches the ocean and discusses their upcoming naval journey.

Production

In April 2021, it was announced that Dakota Johnson had joined the cast of the film. The film is directed by Carrie Cracknell, with the screenplay written by Ron Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow. It is based on Jane Austen's novel with the same title, and Netflix will distribute the film. In May 2021, Henry Golding, Cosmo Jarvis, Richard E. Grant, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Ben Bailey Smith, Izuka Hoyle, Mia McKenna-Bruce, and Nia Towle joined the cast. In June 2021, Edward Bluemel, Lydia Rose Bewley, and Yolanda Kettle joined the cast.

Main filming began in May 2021.

Reception

On the review website Rotten Tomatoes, 30% of 138 critics gave the film positive reviews, with an average score of 5 out of 10. The site’s summary states: "Despite Dakota Johnson’s efforts, the film Persuasion is confusingly out of place with the time period and fails to be a strong adaptation of the classic novel." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 42 out of 100 based on 37 critics, showing mixed or average opinions.

Variety’s Peter Debruge wrote that director Carrie Cracknell tried to modernize the book by borrowing ideas from the show Fleabag, such as characters speaking directly to the audience. However, he noted that casting Dakota Johnson as Anne, a character who is meant to be more reserved, weakens the story’s main conflict. Christy Lemire from the Roger Ebert website mentioned that Dakota Johnson showed her comedic skills in the film, but she said the character of Frederick Wentworth, played by Cosmo Jarvis, was too stiff and uninteresting to care about.

Stuart Heritage from The Guardian wrote that the attempt to modernize the classic novel caused problems, including dialogue that felt out of place and characters making awkward, forced glances at the camera. Constance Grady from Vox called the film an "absolute disaster." A review in The Spectator claimed that "everyone involved should be in prison" due to the film’s poor quality.

Vanity Fair noted that the film’s use of characters speaking directly to the audience was unnecessary and caused problems for the story, making it feel uncomfortable and disruptive.