Netflix’s New Rom-Com Based On Bestselling Book Continues A Disappointing RT Streak For Star

Netflix’s new rom-com based on a bestselling novel continues a disappointing Rotten Tomatoes trend for Sofia Carson. Known for playing Evie, the daughter of the Evil Queen, in Disney’s musical Descendants franchise, the actor has starred in many Netflix movies.

However, except for the 2024 action thriller Carry-On, where she played Nora Parisi, the director of operations at LAX, which garnered positive reviews from critics, most of her Netflix movies have not achieved the same recognition.

Carson starred as Cassie in the 2022 Purple Hearts, which follows an unconventional love story between a struggling singer-songwriter and a troubled Marine, but the movie only has a 33% critical approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes. Similarly, her 2025 coming-of-age movie The Life List, about a woman on a quest to complete a teenage bucket list, also ended up with a divisive score of 47%.

My Oxford Year Marks The Latest Sofia Carson Netflix Movie To Receive A Rotten Score

The New Netflix Rom-Com Only Has A 29% RT Score

My Oxford Year, which arrived on Netflix on August 1, stars Carson as Anna De La Vega, an American student who travels to England to spend a year at Oxford, where she falls in love with her professor, Jamie Davenport (Corey Mylcheest), and becomes tangled in the complicated decisions he has to make about his life.

The movie debuted with a 29% critical score from 17 reviews at Rotten Tomatoes and a 52% audience score. Critics mainly take issue with the plot and how the movie approached the romance between Jamie and Anna, despite the two being an attractive couple worth rooting for.

Some compared Netflix’s new rom-com to Rachel McAdams’ About Time and argued that the 2025 movie’s attempt to be the next version of it may have prevented it from achieving its real potential. Several critics also agreed that Carson’s acting is above the quality of the movie. It’s worth noting that with more reviews being published, the score will likely fluctuate.

What This Means For My Oxford Year

My Oxford Year Has Flaws, But There Are Also Highlights

Based on Julia Whelan’s novel of the same time, My Oxford Year explores the themes of love and life choices, taking place in early adulthood. While overall, the movie is considered a close adaptation, it features a very different ending from the book. Despite starring the acclaimed Bridgerton actor and Sofia Carson, the new Netflix movie has received some heat around its narrative.

ScreenRant‘s review for My Oxford Year rated it 3 out of 10, criticizing the “empty narrative” that ruined the tear-jerking romantic drama that otherwise would’ve been memorable. On the other hand, those who have enjoyed the movie highlighted its scenic backdrop and a charismatic romantic relationship that gives viewers butterflies.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

My Oxford Year

3/10

Release Date

August 1, 2025

Runtime

112 minutes

Director

Iain Morris

Writers

Allison Burnett, Melissa Osborne, Julia Whelan

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  Sofia Carson

  Anna De La Vega

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  Corey Mylchreest

  Jamie Davenport