It’s one thing to read another person’s story. It’s another thing entirely to write (and live) your own.

In Jane Austen Wrecked My Life, we’re introduced to Agathe (Camille Rutherford), an aspiring novelist who works in a bookstore but struggles to complete any of her own writing. Her greatest support comes in the form of Felix (Pablo Pauly), Agathe’s best friend with romance in his eyes. After Felix submits her work without her knowledge, Agathe is thrilled to be selected to participate in a Jane Austen writing residency. Upon her arrival, she is intrigued by the handsome Oliver Lowed (Charlie Anson), a distant relative of Austen. However, as her feelings for him begin to grow, she wonders if maybe she had something special with Felix back home. And, of course, none of this seems to be helping the writing that she is responsible for during her stay as well.

Directed by Laura Paini, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is a breezy romcom that shows a deep love for its titular author. Backed by a delightful performance from Rutherford, Wrecked is funny and free-spirited. There’s a playfulness to the script that keeps it whimsical, but an honesty that keeps it grounded. Despite being set in the modern day, there’s a certain sense of timelessness to it as its characters wrestle with the meaning of love and life together.

In other words, not unlike the work of Austen herself.

As one of history’s greatest (and earliest) feminist writers, Austen’s whimsical romances set the standard for female authors. And therein lies the irony of the film’s title. As Agathe attempts to fight her way against the emotional tropes of Austen’s work so too does she find herself embedded within them. Featuring multiple references to Austen’s writing, Wrecked also revels within her storytelling devices. Although the film never loses sight of the present day, Paini takes great joy in tropes such as the love triangle and unrequited love. (In fact, at one point, Felix even appears dressed in a suit that could have been borrowed from the set of Sense and Sensibility.)

But just as Austen’s female characters were progressive for her day, so too does Agathe demonstrate a strength of character. Yes, she may yearn for a whirlwind romance but she never entirely loses herself to a potential lover. Agathe remains comfortable not ‘settling’ for just any man. She wants a relationship that matters to her and not one simply out of social convenience.

As such, Agathe’s greatest struggle is knowing how to write her own story (literally). To her, the challenge of her book mimics that of her own life. She wants stories to matter; to tell us who we are in the modern world. (This distinction draws the ire of at least one member of the Austen society yet Agathe knows what she believes.) Immersed in the stories of her bookstore, she has high expecations for her life and wants to push ahead into the future.

Though, sometimes, it feels like the universe is pushing back.

Agathe’s internal blockage is a sign that she understands that the world is not one of the books that she sells from her store. However, she also recognizes the power of speaking a new story into the universe to inspire others. She desperately wants her story (both literally and figuratively) to matter to others and to herself.

Yet that’s also the charm of Jane Austen Wrecked My Life. Amidst the comedic dalliances, Agathe’s wants desperately to break free from Austen’s tropes and live a life that is decidedly her own. However, her journey remains fraught with similarities to that of the famed author’s work, proving that real life can be as ridiculously wonderful as fiction.

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is available in theatres on Friday, May 23rd, 2025.