Netflixhas a knack for delivering chart-topping original movies that are slammed by both audiences and critics but still soar above films that secure perfect reviews. Now, My Oxford Year is continuing the trend, and brings back one of Netflix’s bankable stars, Sofia Carson as the movie’s romantic lead. The movie is currently sitting at the top of the Netflix global streaming chart, outperforming previous chart-toppers KPop Demon Hunters and Happy Gilmore 2.
My Oxford Year is a generic romantic drama, and has received the kind of reviews that place it in a very large pool of throwaway movies and TV shows that make up the densely populated genre. The synopsis for the movie reads:
“When Anna (Sofia Carson), an ambitious young American woman, sets out for Oxford University to fulfill a childhood dream, she has her life completely on track until she meets a charming and clever local (Corey Mylchreest) who profoundly alters both of their lives.”
The movie will no doubt draw in a similar crowd to the likes of the TV series Emily in Paris, which has battled mixed to negative reviews across its entire run, and Carson has developed her own fan base thanks to her roles in the Descendents saga, Feel the Beat, and last year’s action romp, Carry-On, with Taron Egerton. However, none that has prevented the movie being expelled from class on Rotten Tomatoes.
Is ‘My Oxford Year’ Worth Watching on Netflix?
My Oxford Year seems to fall into the category of “content” on Netflix, a movie that fills a slot in the new release section, attracts plenty of clicks from subscribers, but ultimately seems to please only a few people at the end of the day.
On Rotten Tomatoes, My Oxford Year scores just 29% on the Tomatometer, and 50% on the audience Popcornmeter, making it one of Sofia Carson’s worst-rated movies and a far cry from movies like Adventures in Babysitting and Carry-On. Critics did not hold back in their feelings for the film, with Variety’s Courtney Howard saying, “What should be a tender, feminist-minded story centered on a young woman rediscovering her dormant childhood dreamer turns into a middling melodrama about being with a cute guy in desperate need of her rescue.” Decider’s John Serba called it “as normie as phony, idealized Hollywood romances get,” while Brandon Yu of the New York Times labeled it “a limp attempt at being this generations About Time.”
And it is perhaps this last which hits home the issues with My Oxford Year; it is a story that has been told several times before and this version does not do anything to stand out when compared to its peers. An audience review from Mark M. said that the film is “like Me Before You low-budget version.” Billy B was even more critical, saying “the plot was so corny, the acting was terrible, and it’s a total waste of time.” Magnus A continued the trend by commenting:
“Take a spoonful of Truly, Madly, Deeply, a ladle from 4 Weddings. Mix and dilute with mediocre script, passionless actors, unimaginative direction and cinematography and you get this bland humdrum rom-com. Avoid this movie and watch either Truly Madly or 4 Weddings , older movies and both far better, miles better acting, script and direction! Netflix please stop paying top dollar for such awful movies.”
However, regardless of what Rotten Tomatoes reviews say, the fact that My Oxford Year is currently being watched by more people than any other movie on the platform (in the U.S. chart it is currently in the number two spot behind Happy Gilmore 2) suggests that there is little incentive for Netflix to stop making this kind of movie, as it does the job required of it without breaking the bank.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes/FlixPatrol
My Oxford Year
- Release Date
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August 1, 2025
- Runtime
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112 minutes
- Director
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Iain Morris
- Writers
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Allison Burnett, Melissa Osborne, Julia Whelan
- Producers
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Caroline Levy
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Corey Mylchreest
Jamie Davenport
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Catherine McCormack
Antonia Davenport
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