My Oxford Year: Why The Story Of A Literature Graduate Is More Heartbreaking Than You Think
Parijat Ghosh 
My Oxford Year, released on Netflix on August 1, 2025, is a top 10 trending movie across regions. The movie stars Sofia Carson (From Purple Hearts), who plays Anna De La Vega, and Corey Mylchreest, who plays Jamie Davenport (From Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. The movie wraps the story of a literature student, Anna, and her experience of living the Oxford dream. Fortunately for her, she gets wrapped in a whirlwind romance with her English tutor, Jamie, at Oxford. But, as the story progresses, we are faced with a sad reality that dawns on both the characters. Spoilers ahead.
My Oxford Year: The Heartbreaking Plot Twist
The “dying lover” trope is so common, but it brings us to tears every time. With My Oxford Year, Jamie’s cancer is discovered mid-movie, which warns both us, viewers, and Anna that he is dying.
It is far too heartbreaking for Anna because she was under the impression that Jamie was seeing other people while ditching her at the boat race event. And, when that impression completely flips at the scene of him being tied to his bed with IV drips, she is left… speechless, perhaps a lot more heartbroken than she could have imagined herself to be.
The Fragile Bonds
Jamie’s refusal to undergo treatments was confusing at first. Why would someone not fight to live, right? Jamie’s father, William, thought the same, causing them to have limited encounters, living up to the “We are English men, Anna. We don’t talk about our feelings.” That is, until it became painfully obvious why Jamie chose what he chose.
Jamie’s brother, Eddie, who lost his life to the same cancer despite going through multiple treatments, shaped the pain of a cancer patient in Jamie’s mind. So, like any blossoming character from a rom-com, he lives his remaining days with the people he loves without trying to fight the inevitable.
It is painful to watch because William only wanted to save himself from the pain of losing another child. But, with Anna’s advice that came wrapped with a car model building box, William finally accepted how important it was to cherish the present moments with Jamie, until he fades, just like Eddie.
My Oxford Year: The Ending Analyzed
We witness the parallels of what could have been and what it really is in the most beautiful way. Anna visits all the places that Jamie had talked about visiting together. The church in Amsterdam, drinking by the Seine, boating in Venice, visiting the temple of Poseidon, and swimming by the Aegean Sea. All of this while showing us Jaimie’s dream of his great European tour.
Anna, ditching her perfectly laid-out life plan, takes after Jamie’s legacy, becoming an English tutor at Oxford. Despite the loss and grief, the movie ends on a happy note, where Anna is everything she had the potential to be.
Conclusion: The Coexistence Of Sorrow & Love
My Oxford Year is a movie that leaves you thinking, very different from the initial excitement at the beginning. The excitement of budding romance, the acceptance of fate, and the beauty of love, even when it is fading. You might not shed a tear, but the bittersweetness is there.
Despite there being heartbreaking moments, the movie heavily focuses on the art of living, making the most of a short life, and the balance of love and loss.
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