Pride and Prejudice is one of the greatest romantic films of all time. Directed by Joe Wright, the movie brings the classic tale of the Victorian Era to life. The movie is about Elizabeth Bennet and his love interest, Mr. Darcy, who break societal norms and class gaps to finally be with each other. It’s a traditional love story that has inspired several other romantic tales we’ve witnessed over the years. That being said, if you’ve stumbled upon Pride and Prejudice just now and want to know if there are other great romantic movies like it, here are the 10 best movies like Pride and Prejudice you should watch.
10. Vita & Virginia
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 5.9/41%
- Director: Chanya Button
- Starring: Gemma Arterton, Elizabeth Debicki, Rupert Penry-Jones, Peter Ferdinando, Gethin Anthony, Emerald Fennell, Adam Gillen, Karla Crome, Rory Fleck Byrne, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Isabella Rossellini
- Release Date: July 5, 2019
Vita and Virginia is also about love, but it’s about the love between two women. In fact, these women were highly reputed authors in the 1920s. Yes, we are talking about Vita Sackville-West (Gemma Arterton) and Virginia Woolf (Elizabeth Debicki). Vita and Virginia were entirely opposite people, but they still connected like they were always meant to be together. It’s an emotional tale that highlights the struggle of same sex love in the 1920s. The societal norms and unrealistic expectations of the family make Vita & Virginia a lot like Pride and Prejudice. In fact, this beautiful tale will also tell you exactly what, or rather who, was the inspiration behind Virginia’s Orlando novel.
9. Bride and Prejudice
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 6.2/64%
- Director: Gurinder Chadha
- Starring: Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson, Daniel Gillies, Nadira Babbar, Anupam Kher, Naveen Andrews, Indira Varma, Namrata Shirodkar, Sonali Kulkarni
- Release Date: February 11, 2005
If you love Pride and Prejudice, how could you not watch the Bollywood version of the same story? Based on Jane Austen’s popular novel, Bride and Prejudice adds its own unique touch to the story. Instead of girls from an English family, we meet four girls from an Indian family, one of them being Lalita Bakshi. Lalita is someone who takes pride in her Indian heritage, and then, she meets Will Darcy, an American man who owns a hotel in India. Darcy is arrogant and ignorant, which initially leads to some clashes with Lalita, but eventually, they both cross the bridge inside their hearts to be with each other. The movie stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Martin Henderson in the leading roles, and yes, their performances are great in this Pride & Prejudice-like movie.
8. Emma (1996)
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 6.6/84%
- Director: Douglas McGrath
- Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Toni Collette, Alan Cumming, Ewan McGregor, Jeremy Northam, Greta Scacchi, Juliet Stevenson, Polly Walker
- Release Date: August 2, 1996
Based on Jane Austen’s novel, Emma is about a young girl who is born into a privileged family. She is wealthy, educated, classy, and with all that, she is arrogant. Emma is known for pokin her nose into others’ businesses, which doesn’t give her a good reputation. However, an encounter with Mr. Knightley, her brother-in-law, changes something within Emma. She not only becomes more humble, but she also starts to develop feelings for the man, which could challenge society’s norms. Challenging society’s norms and breaking through them to be with the person you love is the very factor that makes Emma a must-watch for Pride and Prejudice fans.
7. EMMA (2020)
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 6.7/86%
- Director: Autumn de Wilde
- Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Josh O’Connor, Callum Turner, Mia Goth, Miranda Hart, Bill Nighy
- Release Date: February 21, 2020
Yes, the 2020 movie starring Anya Taylor-Joy is the same story that was told in the 1996 Emma. It’s a Remake, so yes, it does tell the same story, so why should you watch it? Well, the incredible performance from Anya could be one of the major reasons. Additionally, the Remake is a more stylish and modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel. The cinematography and the theatrical approach make 2020’s Emma a must-watch for fans who loved 1996’s Emma, and of course, for those who loved Pride and Prejudice.
6. Emily (2022)
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 6.8/87%
- Director: Frances O’ Connor
- Starring: Emma Mackey, Fionn Whitehead, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Alexandra Dowling, Amelia Gething, Adrian Dunbar, Gemma Jones
- Release Date: October 14, 2022
Emily is yet another tale that highlights the incredible and heartbreaking struggle of a woman from the 18th century. The movie is about Emily Brontë, the legendary author of Wuthering Heights, and it showcases how Emily found the courage to put her own voice out into the world. Of course, there’s a romance angle to the story, much like in Pride and Prejudice, as Emily finds love in William Weightman. However, it’s the emotional turmoil of Emily that’s the unique selling point of Emily.
5. Becoming Jane
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 7/58%
- Director: Julian Jarrold
- Starring: Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Julie Walters, James Cromwell, Maggie Smith
- Release Date: March 9, 2007
Sure, you are a fan of the Pride and Prejudice novel and the movie, but do you know what led Jane Austen to write such stories? If not, then you should definitely watch Becoming Jane. The movie is based on Jane Austen’s life, where we see how she aspired to be a writer while her family wanted her to marry a wealthy man. In the end, Jane herself had to fight the societal norms and escape the expectations of her family to be one of the greatest writers. When you start watching Becoming Jane, you’ll realize why Jane wrote stories like Pride and Prejudice – And it’s more than enough reason to watch the film.
4. Belle (2013)
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.3/84%
- Director: Amma Asante
- Starring: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tom Wilkinson, Sam Reid, Sarah Gadon, Miranda Richardson, Penelope Wilton, Tom Felton, James Norton, Matthew Goode, Emily Watson
- Release Date: May 2, 2014
What could have been more difficult for a woman in the 18th century? Well, being a biracial woman in the 18th century would definitely beat that. Belle is about Dido Elizabeth Belle, a half-white and half-black woman who had to fight social prejudice and racism to be with the man she loved, John Davinier. It’s more than just a love story, though, as Belle also highlights the landmark ruling of a slave trader case during that time.
While being a story about a woman fighting societal norms, Belle is a movie that also highlights the fight against racism. So, you could say that Belle is a lot like Pride and Prejudice, but it’s also very different at the same time.
3. The Young Victoria
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.2/75%
- Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
- Starring: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Thomas Kretschmann, Mark Strong, Jesper Christensen, Harriet Walter
- Release Date: March 6, 2009
The Young Victoria is yet another film that feels like Pride and Prejudice in disguise. The movie, starring Emily Blunt, showcases the early life of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. It’s all about how a young girl almost succumbed to the political pressure after becoming the Queen. However, Victoria finds solace in the arms of Prince Albert, whom she eventually marries. In the end, she defies societal norms and matures from a young, naive girl into a respected Queen of the United Kingdom.
2. Persuasion (2007)
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.4/80%
- Director: Adrien Shergold
- Starring: Sally Hawkins, Rupert Penry-Jones
- Release Date: April 1, 2007
Persuasion is yet another story based on Jane Austen’s classic novel. The movie is about a young girl, Anne Elliot, who belongs to a wealthy, and of course, an arrogant family. Anne is compelled by her family to reject the marriage proposal of Captain Frederick Wentworth. Why? Because he didn’t match their standards. Karma hits back, though, as the financial struggle forces Anne’s father to rent out their big mansion, and guess what? Frederick Wentworth returns in Anne’s life, but this time, he is wealthier and respected than the family.
Persuasion is yet another story that highlights the social class, and the world is deceived because of it. It’s very much similar to Pride and Prejudice, and yes, you should definitely watch it over the 2020 Remake of the story starring Dakota Johnson.
1. Titanic
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.9/88%
- Director: James Cameron
- Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Bernard Hill, Jonathan Hyde, Danny Nucci, David Warner, Bill Paxton
- Release Date: December 19, 1997
There’s a chance you didn’t expect to see ‘Titanic’ being mentioned in a list that discusses movies like ‘Pride and Prejudice.’ But think about it, Rose DeWitt Bukater came from a privileged family that is considered Upper-Class. Jack, on the other hand, came from a poor background. However, Jack’s half-glass-full attitude compels Rose to cross the bridge and be brave enough in front of people who only want to widen the gap between people coming from different financial backgrounds.
Of course, there’s the whole “sinking ship” plot that often gets talked about when one thinks of the Titanic. However, it’s the love story of Jack and Rose that’s the most beautiful part of the movie. Of course, there’s a chance that you have already watched Titanic, but if you haven’t, do watch it, especially if you love romantic tales like Pride and Prejudice.
