My Oxford 12 months. Sofia Carson as Anna in My Oxford 12 months. Cr. Chris Baker/Netflix ©2024
From Temple Hill & Netflix, My Oxford 12 months is the most recent Sofia Carson automobile for the streamer, her sixth movie within the final 5 years and her 2nd of 2025 after The Life Record arrived in late March.
Carson first starred within the dance competitors dramedy Really feel The Beat in 2020 earlier than voicing a courageous pony in My Little Pony: A New Era in 2021. She broke out within the wildly well-liked military-centric drama Purple Hearts in 2022 and adopted it up with a supporting efficiency reverse Taron Egerton within the airport crime thriller Carry-On in late 2024.
In search of a third consecutive profitable Netflix drama, Carson returns to Netflix as star & government producer of this Julia Whelan novel adaptation, a twin function she additionally had on Purple Hearts.
Set principally in and across the hallowed grounds of the celebrated British mental landmark Oxford College, Carson performs Anna de la Vega, an bold American scholar fulfilling a childhood dream by learning poetry overseas on the college earlier than beginning her profession on the legendary monetary establishment Goldman Sachs (as one does, apparently).
Earlier than arriving, Anna had her complete life mapped out – Faculty, Oxford, Goldman, however virtually instantly, she meets an enthralling & intelligent native man, Jamie Davenport, performed by Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story actor Corey Mylchreest. Whereas their first encounter begins reasonably adversarial, Anna quickly discovers that Jamie shall be in her life way more than anticipated, main her poetry class as a newly designated grad assistant to the professor.
As she adjusts to Oxford and the encircling areas – together with some unsavory pub confrontations with native Englishmen- Anna continues to run into Jamie increasingly more. As their relationship evolves, the pair spends Anna’s restricted time throughout the pond, drastically altering one another’s lives.
Whereas many loyal Netflix followers have loved Carson’s dramas over the previous few years to the tune of report viewing numbers, my expertise has not been as joyful.
In my first evaluate ever for this web site, I coated Purple Hearts, citing Carson’s efficiency as sacrificing vary & emotional depth for being extra offended & dour. With my evaluate of The Life Record, I remarked that her portrayal as Alex had extra of the identical points from her earlier dramatic lead performances and will have hit a ceiling as the focus of a movie. I wished to see Carson be the emotional heart of a dramatic movie that works and, so far, I hadn’t seen it.
Whereas this evaluate of My Oxford 12 months is not going to be an entire rave, the movie positively succeeds greater than Purple Hearts & The Life Record with Carson having extra restraint, extra complexity, & a tad extra (pleasing) persona than her earlier Netflix dramas.
Whereas it completely helps to have a greater script from Autumn in New York scribe Allison Burnett & My Fault: London’s Melissa Osborne, the perfect parts of the movie lie with the chemistry of its leads, Carson & Mylchreest, and the appeal of its supporting solid together with Harry Trevaldwyn as her vibrant neighbor Charlie, Esmè Kingdom as her new buddy Maggie, & Nikhil Parmar as her bike salesman/quirky pal Tom. Anna’s scholar friendship group jogged my memory of a quirkier, joyful model of Bridget Jones’ associates early in that franchise.
My Oxford 12 months. (L to R) Corey Mylchreest as Jamie and Sofia Carson as Anna in My Oxford 12 months. Cr. Chris Baker/Netflix ©2024
Moreover, the pairing of Carson & Mylchreest helps the movie survive a large tone shift/plot emphasis midway by the story and lets the viewers overlook how a lot Anna’s monetary profession targets, financial values, & household life parts don’t register or resonate with something associated to the primary plot or her core relationships.
My largest takeaway from the movie, nevertheless, just isn’t Carson-related in any respect: Corey Mylchreest could be a star/main man. Being my first impression of him, I used to be stunned by how charming, good-looking, & charismatic he may be. He brings out the perfect in Carson as nicely, bouncing off his seemingly pure relatability & emotional vulnerability to offer extra of herself in these areas than in additional guarded, brash, & self-important previous performances.
General, My Oxford 12 months combines all the perfect Anglophile wishes with a plausible romantic pairing & delightfully eccentric supporting solid round them. Whereas there are lesser plot strands that don’t materialize & some previous habits from Carson that I want would fall off her repertoire, it’s clearly probably the most watchable of Carson’s romantic dramas and may do nicely together with her dependable core viewers. Come for Carson, however keep for Mylchreest.
Watch My Oxford 12 months If You Like
- A Stroll To Bear in mind
- Love Story
- The Life Record
- Purple Hearts
MVP of Purple Hearts
Corey Mylchreest as Jamie Davenport
Although he’s already began his breakout along with his function in “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story”, Mylchreest is poised for a extra distinguished function in his future along with his efficiency in My Oxford 12 months. He handles romantic love curiosity & difficult drama with ease bringing alongside the viewers by the rollercoaster of Anna & Jamie.
His upcoming supporting flip within the Netflix sequence Hostage might must be a must-watch to see what else he has so as to add to his obvious vary.
Carson’s finest Netflix romantic drama provides her a greater solid, higher backdrop, & higher script than her final 2 main function movies.
