Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
“For today’s teens and twentysomethings, who find romantic storylines overblown, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is a nice option.”
Title: Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (2025) / French: Jane Austen a gâché ma vie
Director: Laura Piani 👩🏼🇫🇷
Writer: Laura Piani 👩🏼🇫🇷
Reviewed by Li 👩🏻🇺🇸
Technical: 3.5/5
In French writer Laura Piani’s directorial debut, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life capably delivers romcom comfort without the clichés. Its dour lead, Agathe (Camille Rutherford), barely cracks a smile and seems to prefer books over humans. Genre standard-bearers usually ask their “grouchy” heroines to change themselves—and find a man—to be happy, à la She’s All That (1999) or Never Been Kissed (1999). But Agathe looks the same from beginning to end, and her happiness stems from an internal transformation—from insecurity to gaining more confidence in her writing, and freeing herself from past traumas so that she may live more fully in the present.
The movie hums along at an agreeable pace, and the love triangle plot never tries to surprise you. Characters feel more archetypal than fully lived in, too—Félix (Pablo Pauly) is the old friend who could be something more, and Oliver (Charles Anson) is the charming Brit. Still, there are worse ways to pass your time than an elevated romcom that delivers a happy ending.
Gender: 5/5
Does it pass the Bechdel Test? YES
With female writer-director Piani behind the lens and a story that centers around a female lead, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life effortlessly portrays a (straight) woman’s perspective—and perhaps, wish fulfillment. An awkward book nerd pursued by two lovely men? That could be me! It probably won’t be, but that’s why we watch movies.
Furthermore, it’s positive that Agathe’s life is already complete without romance. While entanglements with Félix and Oliver make up a large part of the movie, Agathe’s actual conflict lies within herself. She works on her writing and confidence and simultaneously contends with the deaths of her parents, who passed away in a car accident that Agathe has had trouble moving on from.
The film also gives Agathe essential relationships outside of male love interests. She shares multiple scenes with her sister, and they talk about not just her romantic life, but also her writing, their parents, and grief. It’s a well-rounded portrayal of a woman who feels somewhat stuck in her life.
Race: 3/5
Black, East Asian, and multiracial characters appear in minor roles, reflecting the diversity of the film’s setting in Paris. But all the main and supporting characters are white.
Bonus for Disability: +0.00
Oliver’s dad (Alan Fairbairn) has dementia, but it’s mostly used as a source of lighthearted comedy, such as Agathe finding him gardening in the buff, rather than any meaningful representation.
Mediaversity Grade: A 3.83/5
Enjoyable if forgettable, Piani nonetheless delivers a solid feature debut. She brings the romcom genre to a modern audience with a protagonist who’s sulkier than usual but relatably more focused on her career and processing grief than mooning over men. For today’s teens and twentysomethings, who find romantic storylines overblown, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life makes a nice in-between that neither ditches romance altogether nor leans into the narratives we’ve come to expect on screen.
Like Jane Austen Wrecked My Life? Try these other offbeat romantic comedies.
Plus One (2019)
Palm Springs (2020)
The Half Of It (2020)