Why We Love Period Dramas

You may have noticed Hollywood’s recent fixation with the past. While historical dramas are a mainstay in the film industry, audiences can’t get enough of the glowy, candlelit worlds these stories produce. We’re entranced when the story’s love interest finds the most complicated way to say, “I love you.” We swoon at every ballroom dance. If the popularity of Netflix’s Bridgerton and the ongoing love for Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is any indication, period dramas are here to stay. But what makes these unrealistic, so-called boring movies so loveable? 

While these movies may look and feel unattainable to modern viewers, the themes of love, friendships, betrayal, and heartbreak still ring true today. Period dramas are, for lack of a better word, dramatic. Despite the relatively low stakes these movies offer, the acting and the sweeping music make us feel like nothing could be more important. Unrequited love and heartbreak feels more dangerous than any shoot-out. 

it's time for your monthly pride and prejudice hand flex scenepic.twitter.com/5j1YJ4R0LC

— sandra (@intoloveonly) September 25, 2022

Many period dramas, particular ones set in Regency Era England, like Jane Austen’s work, center around the lives of the well-off. Their lives, daily routines, and manners are completely foreign from us, often showcasing unimaginable wealth and inherited mansions. Escapism is a key factor in the charms of period dramas. Met with dazzling images of glittering ballrooms, swaying pastel dresses, and handsome men in billowing shirts, we truly get lost in the story. 

Actress Kiera Knightley, who’s famously starred in numerous period dramas, said, “there’s a negativity around them, because predominantly they’re female.” These films place women in leading roles, often making them battle against their society’s gendered standards. 

jo march is me. i am her pic.twitter.com/cHVaAzkELR

— int-ELLE-ectual property (@ISEEYOUINH11DEF) January 31, 2023

Period dramas exist in a fully-fleshed-out world, thanks to the genre’s notorious commitment to extravagant costuming and breathtaking cinematography. With many featuring an unabashedly feminine aesthetic, the stories feature a romanticism that many feel are missing from today’s reality. 

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