My Oxford Year has a bittersweet ending that left fans devastated and hopeful about what's next for Anna De La Vega (Sofia Carson). Netflix's new romance drama movie tells the story of Anna, an ambitious student from New York, who decides to pursue her masters degree at Oxford University. She ends up meeting her eventual poetry trainer and student teacher, Jamie (Cory Mylchreest), and they ultimately start their casual hook ups.
The pair's intimate fling eventually turns into something more as they fall in love. As things start to become real, Anna discovers that Jamie has a rare, terminal form of cancer which explains why he isn't sure about committing to a lifelong relationship.
Does My Oxford Year Have a Sad Ending?
Jamie and Anna's deep connection in My Oxford Year has led Anna to make a huge decision about her life. She ultimately decides to forego a high-paying job in New York to be with Jamie, but he is clearly distraught over her decision. Jamie believes he didn't deserve Anna and she shouldn't have sacrificed her future for him (knowing that he already has limited presence due to his illness).
After Jamie pushes her away, Anna storms into his apartment because she is worried that he might be cheating on her with another girl. However, what she finds out is more shocking because Jamie is undergoing chemotherapy, and this is where she learns about Jamie's rare disease.
Jamie clearly doesn't want to give Anna the burden of sacrificing everything for a dying man, which is why he decides to push her away in the first place. However, Anna loves him so much that she is willing to stick by him until the end, telling him, "I’m of the opinion that you should never regret the things you do."
Unfortunately, My Oxford Year ends on a sad note after Jamie succumbed to his disease (multiple myeloma) combined with his critical case of pneumonia. It turns out that the chemotherapy weakened his immuned system. What makes it heartbreaking is that it is also the same disease that killed his brother in the first place.
My Oxford Year Has a Sad Ending from One Perspective
While it seems that Jamie was at peace with his death (given that he is ready to embrace it because of losing hope), My Oxford Year's ending is quite tragic for Anna because of Jamie's profound impact toward her life and it halts their plans for a Grand European Adventure that they were supposed to take before his death.
My Oxford Year also showed a gut-wrenching montage featuring Anna's European trip where she imagines Jamie by her side, but his image begins to disappear.
Still, Anna decides to follow through with her trip as a way of embracing what she learns from Jamie about living in the moment and choosing not to be afraid. This is also her way of fulfilling their shared dreams. Understandably, Anna is still sad about Jamie's death, but she wants to honor his legacy in a way she only know how.
The Happy Way to Look at My Oxford Year's Ending
Despite My Oxford Year's tragic ending, there is a happy way to look at its conclusion, considering that Anna has also fully accepted Jamie's death before the credits roll.
Jamie clearly has a profound impact on Anna because he managed to instill hope and awaken her passion for poetry and adventure before his death. This explains why Anna decides to stay at Oxford and continue Jamie's legacy by becoming a poetry professor and incorporating his method of teaching.
By pursuing what truly matters for her, Anna is a changed woman at the end of My Oxford Year, and she becomes more equipped to face the challenges and hardships in life by carrying what Jamie taught her while still forging her own path.
Speaking with TUDUM, Sofia Carson gave a solid nutshell explanation about what the movie is really about:
"My Oxford Year reaffirms in every frame that life is too short to not live it in love, to not live it in joy and to not live it in complete and utter fulfillment."
The lesson here is that Anna leans on gratitude instead of grief, with her choosing to live every moment with him to the fullest and continuing that trend even after he is gone.
Based on Julia Whelan's novel of the same name, My Oxford Year stars Purple Hearts star Sofia Carson, Cory Mylchreest, Dougray Scott, Catherine McCormack, Poppy Gilbert, and Hugh Coles. My Oxford Year premiered on Netflix on August 1, 2025.
