Set in dreamy Oxford but emotionally hollow, My Oxford Year stumbles through clichés, weak chemistry, and a twist that leaves you unmoved.
You know those movies that are supposed to sweep you off your feet? Make your heart flutter, your eyes misty, and maybe even inspire a spontaneous rewatch of Pride and Prejudice? Well… this isn’t one of them.
Anna de la Vega (played by Sofia Carson) has dreamed of studying at Oxford since she was 10—cue the dusty poetry books, framed Cornell diploma, and enough Austen references to make even your high school English teacher roll their eyes. She’s Type A to the core, with a plan so rigid it could give Excel spreadsheets anxiety: defer her fancy Goldman Sachs job for a year, study Victorian poetry under her academic idol, and return to the States with a new line on her résumé and two proud parents.
But like all cookie-cutter rom-coms, her plans go haywire the moment she meets him. Enter Jamie Davenport (Corey Mylchreest), the charming, wealthy local who checks all the clichés: floppy hair, mysterious past, and a smirk that’s supposed to pass for personality. He’s charming enough on the surface, but there’s a heaviness behind his aloofness and for good reason. Jamie is terminally ill, a secret he carries alone while refusing treatment. It’s meant to add emotional depth to his character and the central romance, but instead, it feels like a twist that never quite earns its weight. The reveal comes late and doesn’t have the emotional punch it needs because, well, we barely knew him to begin with.
Their meet-cute if you can call it that happens over fish and chips and is followed by a dizzying whirlwind of pub karaoke, food truck kebabs,long walks through cobbled alleys, and romantic tension so flimsy you’d miss it if you blinked. Now, on paper, this has all the ingredients of a decent rom-dram: elite academic setting, opposites attract, emotional backstories, and a cast that looks like they just walked off a fashion shoot. But somehow, it all falls apart.
Despite being set in one of the most romantic, visually stunning places in the world (hello, Oxford), the film feels strangely hollow. The pacing is rushed, jumping from awkward strangers to almost-lovers in what feels like ten minutes. There’s no tension, no slow burn, no real reason to root for them. It’s like watching two people fall in love on fast-forward, except you don’t believe it for a second.
The biggest problem? There’s zero chemistry. Sofia Carson and Corey Mylchreest seem like they’re acting in two separate movies entirely. She’s high-strung and over-scripted; he’s breezy to the point of being forgettable.
One thing the film conveniently ignores is the ethically questionable student-teacher romance. It’s just… there. No discussion, no fallout. Just one big shrug emoji from the plot. Love wins, I guess?
The film tries to sell itself as a meaningful exploration of love, self-discovery, and sacrifice. But instead of feeling moved, I felt…nothing. Okay, maybe mild confusion. Maybe boredom. But definitely not what you sign up for when you’re promised a grand Oxford romance.
To be fair, there are two small saving graces: the Oxford setting frame is undeniably pretty, majestic libraries, ivy-covered walls, and candlelit dorm rooms. It’s the kind of setting that deserves a much better script, and Jamie’s father, Dougray Scott, gives the only emotionally resonant performance. As a man grappling with the looming loss of his second son to a terminal illness, his performance is subtle, grounded, and genuinely affecting. It’s one of the few emotionally honest moments in a film that otherwise feels emotionally hollow
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
(One for Oxford, one for the dad. The rest? Skippable.)
My Oxford Year is a 2025 American romantic drama film directed by Iain Morris and written by Allison Burnett and Melissa Osborne, inspired by the novel of the same name by Julia Whelan.
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