The brand new period-piece feature film Persuasion isn’t getting the best of reviews, with fans of Jane Austen and hard-hitting movie critics accusing the latest movie of being too “cringey”.
The new film tells the story of Anne Elliot, a woman who was persuaded not to marry a dashing young man, only for the humble gentleman to re-enter her life eight years later, leaving her with quite the romantic quandary. With a dazzling cast that includes the likes of Richard E. Grant, Henry Golding, Dakota Johnson and Yolanda Kettle, we don’t think it’s all too bad, even if fans and critics believe otherwise.
Released on July 15th, fans have had plenty of time to dissect the drama, finding great fun in poking holes in the film’s admittedly paper-thin screenplay.
“Now we’re worse than exes, we’re friends,” is one of these treasured lines, along with the main character describing herself as “an empath”. Though, neither of these compare to the utter delightful dross that is, “It’s often said, ‘If you’re a five in London, you’re a 10 in Bath’”.
Such lines have prompted audiences to express their outrage on social media platforms. One user posted this on Twitter: “Haven’t we as a society suffered enough!?!?!!” Another fan added: “The thing everyone’s missing about Netflix Persuasion is that the dialogue would be cringey even if it was a modern rom-com. It’s not me being an Austen purist; it’s just bad”.
Watch the new trailer for Persuasion below, and bask in the glory of its tragedy.
