The Wasteland Reviewer

My Oxford Year (2025) Written Review

Who doesn’t love taking a nice romance on Netflix with someone you care about? Netflix certainly has a giant library full of rom coms, dramatic romances, and all types of romantic films you can think of. They have become one of the key hubs for romance films as they have overcome Hallmark and rom coms don’t get the same type of coverage in theaters anymore. Netflix has certainly cracked the formula as well with an attractive couple, a sweet meet-cute, and the same basic plot every time. If you want to add some dramatic layers, you can even throw in one of the characters being horrible ill. That is the exact road mat that Netflix, director Iain Morris, and Julia Whelan’s novel took for My Oxford Year. 

Does Morris bring life to Whelan’s novel on the small screen for Netflix? Unfortunately, the film lacks a distinct personality and slides right into the void of Netflix romantic comedies and dramas. Luckily, Morris does leverage the setting with the beautiful campus of Oxford as well as the estates for some of the characters. Outside of that, this film walks a tightrope between frivolous comedy without depth and sappy melodrama that makes the film overly serious out of nowhere. The pacing of the film is not quite there either as this almost two-hour film drags quite a few times. The comedy is not fresh and fits right into that stereotypical romantic banter that feels quite unoriginal. The drama feels so forced into the film that it comes as a shock and delivers some serious tonal whiplash halfway through the film. Morris’ filmmaking is workmanlike and leaves the film feeling underwhelming. 

Does the screenplay from Allison Burnett and Melissa Osborne give the film more personality? Not necessarily. The film starts with some efficient set up as Anna (Sofia Carson) gets her opportunity to fulfill her dream and plans to take a gap year to study at Oxford because she starts her dream job in the States. One obvious yet charming meet-cute later, we have a painstakingly generic romance on our hands. Anna and Corey Mylchreest’s Jamie don’t get along at first (of course) but soon she cannot resist his charm (of course). For the first half of the film, the audience is treated to a healthy diet of romantic tropes that are engaging enough but never give My Oxford Year anything of real substance to stand on its own. Then the film takes a huge 180 (that is completely unearned) and turns into a completely different generic romance. This romance is one of the overly sad, sappy, and illogical ones where no one makes rational decisions, and every outcome is cheesy and eyeroll-inducing. Even the find shot is completely frustrating as it finds our female protagonist giving up her whole plan and identity for her male partner. Frustratingly unoriginal and bland is a good way to describe it. 

How does the cast affect the cinematic experience of the film? Carson and Mylchreest are certainly both attractive and charming. The material they are given to work with is frustrating, which results in two wasted talents. Carson feels like a frustrating case because when she does get a straight well-written and interesting line, she sells it. Mylchreest is saddled with a character who has quite a few moments of over-the-top and inorganic moments that are hard to believe. Dougray Scott and Catherine McCormack as Jamie’s parents and are engaging enough in their limited roles. Harry Trevaldwyn and Esme Kingdom get to be the fun friend characters to Anna, and they excel at those roles well and are some of the most consistently entertaining pieces of the film. 

Is My Oxford Year a worthwhile romance to stream over on Netflix? If this is your type of genre and you just cannot have enough of that romantic content, this will check off some boxes. If you need a romance that will give you some depth and feel fresh and engaging, Morris’ film misses that mark. The setting is charming for sure and so is this attractive cast but the film just lacks too much depth and intriguing to engage you enough.