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The Latch

“Jane Would Be Ashamed”: All the Best Reactions to Netflix’s ‘Persuasion’

July 20, 2022
Netflix

Jane Austen is considered a literary genius, and her work has inspired romance lovers for over 200 years. So when Netflix released a terrible trailer of its upcoming movie, Persuasion, based on Austen’s novel of the same name, fans were apprehensive.

The cast certainly looked like they belonged in the regency era, but they spoke like a Gen Z, who get most of their lingo from TikTok. 

Dakota Johnson stars as Anne Elliot, who, after falling in love with Frederick Wentworth, was persuaded to call off the engagement because he had zero prospects.

However, eight years later, Anne can’t seem to shake off the feelings she has toward him, not to mention that her own family lost most of their fortune after spending years trying to keep up appearances.

The movie, directed by Carrie Cracknell, has been viciously slammed online and by critics alike, and it isn’t hard to see why. 

Persuasion, the novel is complex and full of heart. Persuasion, the movie, on the other hand, is anything but. 

For one, Anne is constantly breaking the fourth wall, so it feels as though we’re watching a parody of The Office, rather than an Austen film. 

Vox writer Constance Grady summarised the film perfectly, saying: “It’s hard to overstate just how bad Netflix’s Persuasion is, and in how many ways”, adding: “As an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, it’s a disaster”.

Slate’s Dana Stevens also added in her two cents, calling it “not only the worst Austen adaptation but one of the worst movies in recent memory”.

Yikes.

So what was it that caused Persuasion’s ultimate demise? It seems it was Cracknell’s poor attempt at reviving a historical piece of literature while still trying to appeal to the younger generation. 

The language stood out like a sore thumb, and if she wanted the characters to say things like, “If you’re a five in London, you’re a 10 in Bath”, then she should have drawn inspiration from the book and had the film take place in the present. 

That’s what Amy Heckerling did with Clueless, which is based on Jane Austen’s Emma.

Anyway, while the movie, which has been rated a generous 5.6/10 on IMDb, was painful to watch, it was all worth it after we read people’s reactions on Twitter.

Take a look at some of the best tweets.

Persuasion is available to stream on Netflix.

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