Keira Knightley’s ‘Emotional Masterpiece’ Period Romance Is Leaving Netflix in Days — and Fans Have Almost Nowhere Else to Stream It
Period drama fans have only a few days left to revisit one of the most beloved Jane Austen adaptations on Netflix before it disappears from the platform.
The acclaimed 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, is set to leave Netflix on Saturday, June 20.
And for subscribers hoping it will simply turn up on another streaming service, there’s disappointing news.
According to the report, the film isn’t currently available through another subscription platform, making this one of the final opportunities for Netflix viewers to watch it without paying separately.
A Jane Austen Romance That Still Has Devoted Fans
Based on Austen’s classic 1813 novel, the film follows the five Bennet sisters as questions of love, marriage, class and morality collide around them.
Knightley stars as the fiercely independent Elizabeth Bennet, while Macfadyen plays the reserved and initially difficult Mr Darcy.
Their relationship sits at the heart of the story, but the film surrounds them with an impressive ensemble.
Brenda Blethyn plays Mrs Bennet, with Rosamund Pike as Jane Bennet. Judi Dench, Kelly Reilly and Tom Hollander are also among the cast.
Nearly two decades after its original release, viewers continue to speak about the adaptation with remarkable affection.
One Viewer Called It an ‘Emotional Masterpiece’
IMDb reviewers have been particularly enthusiastic.
One viewer described it as possibly the best film they’d ever seen, praising how successfully it captured the spirit of Austen’s novel.
They went even further, calling the movie a “work of art” and an “emotional masterpiece,” while describing the experience of watching it as life-changing.
Another reviewer praised virtually every element of the production — from its direction and performances to its screenplay, sets, cinematography and editing — before suggesting Austen herself would have been satisfied with the adaptation.
A third called it an “absolutely perfect 2-hour adaptation” and awarded it the equivalent of full marks.
For that viewer, the combination of humor and emotion made the romance particularly powerful.
The Film Was a Major Box-Office Success
The affection wasn’t limited to audience reviews.
Following its theatrical release, Pride & Prejudice earned $121.6 million worldwide, equivalent to approximately £91 million in the figures cited by the report.
Critical reaction was also favorable, with Knightley’s performance receiving particular praise.
Her interpretation of Elizabeth would become one of the defining roles of her career, while Macfadyen’s Darcy has developed a devoted following of his own.
The result is a film that has continued finding new viewers long after its original cinema run.
Netflix Viewers Are Running Out of Time
For anyone who has kept the film sitting on their Netflix watchlist, however, the deadline is approaching.
Pride & Prejudice is scheduled to leave the service on June 20.
The supplied report says there is currently no alternative subscription streaming service carrying the movie, although viewers can purchase it digitally through Prime Video or Apple TV for £2.99.
That leaves period-drama fans with a relatively simple choice.
Watch it on Netflix before it disappears, or be prepared to pay separately afterward.
Twenty-one years after Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen brought Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy back to the screen, viewers are still calling their romance an emotional masterpiece — but Netflix subscribers now have only days left to see why.
