Witty, manipulative, and recently widowed, Lady Susan Vernon is on the hunt for a wealthy new husband. Taking refuge at the country estate of her in-laws, she quickly sets her sights on the charming and respectable Reginald DeCourcy. But her scheming hits a snag with the unexpected arrival of her shy and sincere Frederica, whose presence threatens to unravel her carefully laid plans. Director Whit Stillman (Metropolitan) brings Jane Austen’s early novella ‘Lady Susan’ to sparkling life in this razor-sharp, delightfully biting period comedy, starring Kate Beckinsale and Chloë Sevigny.

Reviews

‘This is the zingiest Austen adaptation you’ll ever see, with the usual pastel palette and slow decorum abandoned in favour of acid colours and acid remarks, which keep the audience in stitches.’
★★★★★
Kate Muir, The Times

‘The funniest, most deliciously venomous Jane Austen movie ever made, and conclusive proof that, a) Kate Beckinsale has been seriously undervalued by the movies and, b) Whit Stillman is a major, distinctive talent.’
★★★★★
Kim Newman, Empire Magazine

2025 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of the beloved novelist Jane Austen. The Oxford University Press are celebrating this anniversary throughout the year. Click here to find out more.