What viewers and critics are saying about new Netflix romcom drama My Oxford Year

Martin Macdonald - 1 August 2025, 18:30 Share

Get ready to reach for the tissues as it seems new Netflix romcom drama My Oxford Year has the potential to be a tearjerker.

The movie was directed by Iain Morris of The Inbetweeners fame and written by Allison Burnett, inspired by the novel of the same name by Julia Whelan.

What are the top 10 most popular shows on Amazon Prime right now?

Tuesday 10 February 2026, 14:38

What are the top 10 most popular shows on Netflix right now?

Monday 9 February 2026, 15:27

Interestingly, Whelan adapted Burnett's original screenplay into a novel.

My Oxford Year stars Sofia Carson, Corey Mylchreest, Dougray Scott and Catherine McCormack and tells the story of a young American woman who travels to Oxford to "fulfil her dream" only to encounter a charming man who changes her life.

Though that is a fairly standard rom-com setup, viewers do describe a switch in tone towards the end of the movie due to a tragic event.

My Oxford Year reviews

Here are what some fans are saying.

"Did you ever are know you’re going to be disappointed in a book to movie from the opening scene? If not watch this will do it. As a lover of the book I knew this was going to be bad within the first 20 seconds. They change the main character's name & change her family dynamic. The rest of the movie just went down from there." Google review by user Kathleen Domenico.

"Such an amazing movi,e truly. Everything down to the music soundtrack was so dreamy and makes you feel so intrigued. A very bitter-sweet ending though, I definitely shed a few tears but it really shows how short life is and how important it is to live it to the fullest without regrets. I definitely recommend watching this movie." - Google review by user Adrianna Rodriguez.

"Love both of them. Would recommend it, will make you smile." Google user Rushana Hendricks.

Here's what the critics are saying.

"Bland love story with tragic end." - India TV News.

"The true sin of any romance film is not to be formulaic or predictable — we enjoy these types of movies because their pleasure points are expected — but to hit its beats joylessly. Adapted from the novel by Julia Whelan, My Oxford Year may quickly fall prey to this trap, but it has the benefit of having a trick up its sleeve, switching from one genre trope to another halfway through. The halfhearted execution remains, though. Instead of a rote enemies-to-lovers story, it becomes a limp attempt at being this generation’s About Time, the 2013 Richard Curtis film beloved for its sentimentalities about living life fully." - The New York Times.

"What should be a tender, feminist-minded story centered on a young woman rediscovering her dormant childhood dreamer turns into a middling melodrama about being with a cute guy in desperate need of her rescue." - Variety.

"Their chemistry is strong enough to be believable, but there's no tangible justification or demonstration of why exactly these characters love each other. They share an interest in poetry, and Anna wants to live out her literary dreams of getting involved with a disgustingly wealthy British Lord, but this isn't the foundation of a long-term partnership." - ScreenRant.

New James Bond writer confirmed and fans are going to be ecstatic

Are we getting a third full series of Netflix's horror smash Kingdom?