Overview
A tale of lost love rekindled amidst the trials of social class and duty.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- wistful
- restrained
- tender
- quiet evening
- romantic weekend
What critics said
The adaptation was broadly well received, with particular praise for Sally Hawkins's vulnerable Anne, though critics often found it weaker than earlier Austen productions.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth meet again eight years after their rejected engagement, with unresolved love shaping the plot.
The financially stressed Elliot family treats residence, rank, and advantageous marriage as practical necessities.
Anne and Wentworth struggle to acknowledge renewed feelings amid polite society and emotional reserve.
The film adapts Jane Austen's novel through manners, family vanity, romantic misunderstandings, and class-conscious dialogue.
Films like Persuasion, and why
Sense and Sensibility
period romance centered on restrained longing, social manners, and second chances
Pride & Prejudice
Jane Austen adaptation blending romantic tension, class conventions, and witty domestic drama
Jane Eyre
literary period romance shaped by emotional repression, social scrutiny, and a delayed reunion
Movie Details
- Director
- Adrian Shergold
- Release Date
- 2007-04-01
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (289)
Cast
- Sally Hawkins
- Rupert Penry-Jones
- Alice Krige
- Tobias Menzies
- Anthony Stewart Head
- Julia Davis
- Michael Fenton Stevens
- Mary Stockley
- Peter Wight
- Marion Bailey
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Britbox Apple TV channel, BritBox, BritBox Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Passionflix Amazon Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Persuasion about?
- A quietly passionate Austen adaptation follows a woman confronting the love she once surrendered when her former suitor returns to her changing social world.
- What is Persuasion like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Persuasion as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Persuasion violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Persuasion.
- What did critics think of Persuasion?
- The adaptation was broadly well received, with particular praise for Sally Hawkins's vulnerable Anne, though critics often found it weaker than earlier Austen productions.
- Which films are like Persuasion?
- Films with a similar feel include Sense and Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice, and Jane Eyre.
- How long is Persuasion?
- Persuasion runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch Persuasion?
- In United States, Persuasion streams on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Britbox Apple TV channel, BritBox, BritBox Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Passionflix Amazon Channel.
