Charming Chaos: How 'Jane Austen Wrecked My Life' Rewrites the Modern Rom‑Com Rulebook
A witty tale of self‑discovery, literary obsession, and finding your own story.
Paris meets the English countryside in Jane Austen Wrecked My Life, a bilingual French rom‑com from debut writer‑director Laura Piani. The film follows Agathe, a Parisian bookseller and aspiring novelist who’s so fixated on Austen‑style romance that she’s practically living in the past. When her friend Felix submits her manuscript for a Jane Austen writers’ residency (without telling her), Agathe finds herself crossing the Channel — not emotionally ready, but undeniably intrigued.
Released in US cinemas on May 16, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life has already sparked plenty of conversation with its mix of English and French dialogue, period-style romance, and a charming, bookish setting.
What is Jane Austen Wrecked My Life about? At its heart, it’s a story of Agathe confronting writer’s block and romantic indecision during a two‑week retreat in the English countryside. There, she finds herself drawn to both her longtime friend Felix and Oliver, a brooding descendant of Austen herself, leading to humorous misunderstandings, faux‑Regency balls, and a growing awareness that her own story might be worth writing.
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is a romantic comedy with a literary twist — full of playful nods to Austen’s world. It asks a simple question: what if you stopped chasing someone else’s story and started living your own?
