 starring Sofia Carson, Corey Mylchreest, Dougray Scott, Catherine McCormack, Harry Trevaldwyn, Hugh Coles, Poppy Gilbert & more in Netflix’s poignant Oxford-set romance.){kind=link}
Directed by Iain Morris.
My Oxford Year premiered globally on August 1, 2025.
Distributed by Netflix.
Movie Review
My Oxford Year (2025) offers a gorgeously photographed trip to Oxford that delivers atmosphere more than originality.
Sofia Carson plays Anna De La Vega, an American grad student who trades a Wall Street offer for Victorian poetry and an uneasy romance with tutor Jamie, played by Corey Mylchreest.
The film is lovely to look at, with golden light, ivy clad quads and period detail, but the script leans on predictable beats and a problematic teacher student set up that never fully ignites.
A late tragic turn shifts tone from romantic escape to sombre melodrama, and while the emotional core lands at moments, the chemistry feels uneven.
Harry Trevaldwyn as Charlie provides warm comic relief and earns some of the film best scenes.
If you want a visually pleasing, bittersweet mood piece to stream, this will do the job.
If you want fresh romance or sharper emotional truth, look elsewhere instead.
Ratings
• IMDb: 6/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 32%
• Google Audience Score: 57% liked this movie.
My Oxford Year (2025) Actors
Sofia Carson as Anna De La Vega
DOB: April 10, 1993.
Bio: Born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Sofia Carson attended UCLA, majoring in communications with a minor in French.
She rose to fame with Disney’s Descendants franchise and transitioned into adult roles with performances in Feel the Beat and Purple Hearts.
Role: Anna De La Vega is an ambitious American postgraduate studying Victorian poetry at Oxford.
Torn between accepting a prestigious but secure position and pursuing a life driven by artistic passion and personal meaning, Anna finds her world upended by an unexpected and emotionally transformative romance.
What to Expect: A grounded, quietly emotional lead turn; Anna is smart, guarded and swept into a short, intense romance that forces life-choices.
Favorite Things: Off-screen, Carson is passionate about singing, philanthropy, and family. She has shared in interviews that she loves attending live concerts and has a fondness for vintage fashion and classic films.
Notable Works: Descendants franchise, Purple Hearts, Feel the Beat.
Corey Mylchreest as Jamie Davenport
DOB: May 8, 1998.
Bio: An English actor born in Leytonstone, East London. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Acting from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), graduating in 2020.
He made his television debut with a guest role in The Sandman (2022) and gained international acclaim portraying a fictionalized King George III in Netflix’s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
Role: Jamie Davenport is an Oxford DPhil candidate and teaching assistant whose intellectual connection with Anna becomes deeply emotional.
What to Expect: Quiet charisma, believable intellectual chemistry with Anna, and a performance that leans into bittersweet stakes.
Favorite Things: Often discussing his classical training and love for literature and period drama, Mylchreest draws on a foundation rooted in Shakespeare and emotional authenticity.
Notable Works: Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, The Sandman, and classical stage performances.
Dougray Scott as William Davenport
DOB: November 26, 1965.
Bio: Scottish actor Dougray Scott, born in Glenrothes, Fife, trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama before launching a career that spans acclaimed British television, Hollywood blockbusters, and theatre.
Known for his intensity and understated authority, Scott has played everything from romantic leads to morally complex antagonists, earning a reputation for adding depth and quiet gravitas to any role.
Role: William Davenport, Jamie’s father, who represents family expectations, class and the pressures around his son’s choices.
What to Expect: A restrained, affecting performance that shades the film’s class and family tensions.
Favorite Things: Away from the screen, Scott enjoys theatre work, spending time with his family, and traveling. He has also expressed a passion for golf and the Scottish outdoors.
Notable Works: Mission: Impossible II, Enigma, Hitman, Desperate Housewives, Batwoman, Crime.
Catherine McCormack as Antonia Davenport
DOB: April 3, 1972.
Bio: English actress Catherine McCormack, born in Epsom, Surrey, trained at the Oxford School of Drama before making her breakthrough in Braveheart (1995) as Murron MacClannough.
Over the years, she has built a career in both film and theatre, often gravitating toward period pieces, literary adaptations, and emotionally rich dramas.
Role: Antonia Davenport, Jamie’s mother, who embodies the gentler, more private side of the Davenport household.
What to Expect: Quiet dignity, scenes that reveal parental love and private sorrow.
Favorite Things: McCormack has expressed a deep passion for theatre and literary works, often returning to the stage between screen roles.
Notable Works: Braveheart, The Land Girls, Dangerous Beauty, 28 Weeks Later, Spy Game.
Harry Trevaldwyn as Charlie Butler
DOB: February 14, 1994.
Bio: Harry Trevaldwyn is an English comedian, actor, and writer who gained fame through viral sketch comedy and stand-up performances.
He trained at a London improv school before moving into television and film, where his keen comic timing and empathetic undercurrent have made even supporting roles memorable.
Role: Charlie Butler, Jamie’s friend and a source of comic relief and loyalty in the Oxford circle.
What to Expect: Witty banter, scene-stealing supporting moments and a warm-hearted friendship with Jamie.
Favorite Things: Trevaldwyn frequently cites sketch comedy, improv, and live performance as his personal passions.
Notable Works: How to Train Your Dragon, The Bubble.
Hugh Coles as Ridley
DOB: 1992
Bio: Hugh Coles is a British comedian and actor known for his work across sketch comedy, panel shows, and stage.
A graduate of a notable UK acting program, he has built his reputation on observational humor, sharp timing, and a warm, relatable presence.
Role: Ridley is one of the vibrant members of Jamie Davenport’s Oxford social circle.
What to Expect: Dry, contemporary British comic sensibility and believable friendship dynamics.
Favorite Things: Coles has a strong background in improv and fringe theatre, which he credits for keeping his instincts fresh and taking creative risks.
Notable Works: Defending The Guilty, The Festival, Juice.
Poppy Gilbert as Cecelia Knowles
DOB: September 14, 1998
Bio: Poppy Gilbert is a Sweden-born British actress emerging from the UK stage and television circuit.
She trained in performing arts, and has garnered positive attention for her grounded, emotionally honest performances in supporting roles across theatre and limited TV appearances.
Role: Cecelia Knowles, a fellow student whose scenes add texture to the Oxford setting and Anna’s social life.
What to Expect: Nuanced support work that humanizes the academic world.
Favorite Things: Gilbert takes her craft seriously and is known to enjoy literary podcasts, which inform her understanding of character and setting.
Notable Works: Chloe, The Catch, Stay Close.
Barney Harris as Ian
DOB: July 15, 1996
Bio: Barney Harris is a British actor recognized for his compelling work in television dramas such as The Wheel of Time.
He brings a quiet intensity and emotional depth to every role.
Role: Ian is a member of Jamie Davenport’s Oxford circle, whose steady presence and subtle insights reveal new facets of male friendship and loyalty in the academic setting.
What to Expect: Low-key gravitas and moments that complicate the romantic arc.
Favorite Things: Harris gravitates toward theatre and intellectually rich literary projects. He’s known to favor scripts rooted in classic drama and modern adaptations.
Notable Works: The Wheel of Time, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, Starboy.
Romina Cocca as Mrs. De La Vega
DOB: 1977
Bio: Romina Cocca is an actress known for bringing grounded warmth and emotional realism to her supporting roles.
While her filmography is not extensively publicized, she has appeared in character-driven independent films and television dramas that explore family dynamics and cultural identity.
Role: Mrs. De La Vega, Anna’s mother, whose family expectations and love help explain Anna’s life choices.
What to Expect: Emotional scenes that show the cost of ambition and the pull of family.
Favorite Things: Cocca favors work in independent film and family-driven dramas.
Notable Works: The Hockey Girls, The Split, The Penguin Lessons.
Nikhil Parmar as Tom
DOB: 1990
Bio: Nikhil Parmar is a British actor known for his appearances in contemporary UK television drama.
Trained in acting, he frequently contributes grounded, authentic performances in ensemble casts.
Role: Tom, an Oxford peer and part of the film’s social ensemble.
What to Expect: Casual, believable supporting work that adds texture to student life.
Favorite Things: Parmar is often associated with community theatre and classical training.
Notable Works: We Live in Time, The Rig, Brassic.
Esmé Kingdom as Maggie
DOB: N/A
Bio: Esmé Kingdom is a British actor whose early work spans guest appearances in television dramas and stage productions.
Trained in acting, she is known for her poised, emotionally grounded performances and a quiet confidence that enriches ensemble storytelling.
Role: Maggie, a student who interacts with Anna and the Oxford cohort, contributing to the film’s social dynamics.
What to Expect: A performance that supports the lead romance with realism and subtlety.
Favorite Things: Kingdom actively studies stagecraft and voice work to refine her performance skills and presence.
Notable Works: Fallen, God’s Eyes.
Yadier Fernández (supporting role)
DOB: N/A
Bio: Yadier Fernández is a rising actor whose early work includes stage training and emerging screen roles.
He appears within the multicultural ensemble at Oxford, offering grounded authenticity to the setting through subtle, lived-in performances.
Role: A supporting student in Anna’s Oxford circle who contributes to the film’s sense of cultural richness and realism.
What to Expect: Brief, authentic contributions that reinforce the film’s setting.
Favorite Things: A supporting student in Anna’s Oxford circle who contributes to the film’s sense of cultural richness and realism.
Notable Works: The Mother, Salvando al General.
FAQ – My Oxford Year Movie
What is My Oxford Year based on?
The film is adapted from Julia Whelan’s 2018 novel of the same name, which itself grew out of an original screenplay by Allison Burnett.
Where was the film shot?
Filming took place on location at iconic Oxford sites like Magdalen College, St Hugh’s, Hertford College, Christ Church, and the Bodleian Library. Additional scenes were filmed in London, Windsor, and Hertfordshire. PEOPLE
What makes the film ending different from the book?
In contrast to the book, where the male lead Jamie survives, the film has Jamie die.
Did the film get Oxford details right?
While visually beautiful and filming on location at Bodleian Library, Magdalen, and Hertford colleges, some inaccuracies in traditions and ceremony were noted by Oxford scholars.
Conclusion
My Oxford Year (2025) is a film that thrives on its aesthetic charm and emotional ambition but stumbles in its narrative execution.
While Sofia Carson and Corey Mylchreest give heartfelt performances, the romance struggles with predictability and pacing.
Its real strength lies in its cinematography and supporting cast, offering moments of genuine warmth and visual beauty.
For fans of cozy academic settings and bittersweet love stories, it’s worth a watch, just don’t expect it to break new ground.