The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Netflix’s My Oxford Year

My Oxford Year is the latest romance movie on Netflix, and the film has a powerful and emotional ending. Already one of the best Sofia Carson movies, the new film sees Anna De La Vega travel from New York City to Oxford University in England for a year of studying Victorian poetry.

Things become complicated when Anna meets Jamie, her young professor, and the two strike up an intimate and sweet relationship. This Netflix romantic comedy begins with heat as the two transform from enemies to lovers, but the details of the story grow more difficult as some dark secrets begin to be revealed.

With a cast of rich characters in My Oxford Year, the film tugs at the heartstrings with smart and emotional dialogue played out by some great performers. Sofia Carson and Corey Mylchreest, who most recently appeared in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, headline the film, playing out a complex relationship with convincing skill all the way through the devastating ending.

Jamie Dies In My Oxford Year’s Ending

What Happens To Anna After

The darkest part of My Oxford Year occurs more than halfway through the film, when Anna discovers that Jamie is dying of cancer. He wishes to forego ongoing treatment after seeing how it affected his brother, and this eventually ends with him lying in bed with Anna, looking very pale and cold.

The following sequence sees Anna and Jamie traveling throughout Europe together. They visit the church in Amsterdam, the Seine in Paris, and the Temple of Poseidon in Greece. Jamie voyages alongside Anna, and he appears much better and much healthier as they smile and kiss.

Unfortunately, this is not what has occurred. The film slowly removes Jamie from these scenes, confirming that he was ᴅᴇᴀᴅ as Anna explored these locations. While his memory is with Anna, she is traveling alone physically, but not in spirit. Jamie has pᴀssed on, but he still lives in her heart. The pᴀssion and hope that he lit up within Anna will stay with her always.

Why Anna Gives Up The Goldman Sachs Job & Stays In England

Her Big Decision Explained

When Anna first voyages to England, it is with the intent of returning after one school year. Her family eagerly anticipates her return, and she has already lined up a profitable job with Goldman Sachs. She speaks about this job with no excitement, however, and laments that she must pursue a career for money’s sake, not for pᴀssion.

Jamie is wealthy and is able to see the world differently. He wishes to engage with poetry and adores sharing it with the students at Oxford University. His sickness causes Anna to stay behind in England at first, in order to stay with him for the time he has left, and this causes her to give up the lucrative job.

Fortunately, this also allows Anna to better understand what she really wants. She adores Professor Styan and the material they explore in the class, and the ending of the film sees her taking Jamie’s place as a teacher. The closing scene sees her speaking of her pᴀssion for poetry, offering up the same cake Jamie gave them at the beginning.

How Jamie’s Cancer Diagnosis Changes His & Anna’s Relationship

What Began As Pᴀssion Turns To Love, Connection, And Family

Jamie and Anna begin their relationship, insisting to one another that it is just about having fun. This makes sense for Anna, who initially plans on staying in England for only a short time, and follows Jamie’s dating patterns, which are set up at the beginning when he hides in the fish and chip shop from a spurned former lover.

All of this feels complicated from the beginning. Jamie has an unclear relationship with Cecelia, and disappears during an important weekend alongside her. Anna storms into his house in order to understand what is going on, only to discover Jamie receiving treatment for cancer.

It turns out that, like his brother before him, Jamie is dying of cancer. This is an emotional realization that adds another layer of complication, as Cecelia was his late brother’s girlfriend, and her doting is a product of their shared loss. Even Jamie’s larger family difficulties with his parents become clearer from this realization.

His parents have already lost a son, and do not wish to lose another. Still, Jamie has great zeal for life, and he wants to live every moment to the fullest, even at the expense of his own health. His impending death due to his shirking of further debilitating treatment casts a dark sheen over the film’s events.

What Happens To My Oxford Year’s Other Characters

Life Goes On, And The Others Find Love

The ending of the film sees life going on, and not just for Anna. Cecelia has struggled to move on from her heartbreak after Eddie’s death, but the film’s ending sees her finding another person with whom she can connect. While Eddie will not be forgotten, it is comforting that she is still able to have a life.

The other characters find similar paths forward. After seeing her dressed up, Tom realizes that he has feelings for Maggie, and the two pursue a relationship together. Even Charlie, who has struggled to form an emotional connection with anyone, is shown expanding his horizons, with plans to attend a football match with his new beau.

The Real Meaning Of My Oxford Year

Life Is Fleeting, And What A Person Does Matters

Anna and Jamie’s relationship is short-lived, but it is valuable. While the two spent less than a year together, the impact they had on one another was powerful. Jamie bonds further with his family and holds onto the love and light that Anna brings to his life. Even if it must end, it was a good life.

Meanwhile, Anna learns that she must focus on doing the things that make her happy. Rather than returning home to work in finance, she is inspired by Jamie and their relationship to pursue further study and work in education. She cares deeply for Victorian poetry, and this love allows her to craft a new life for herself.

What a person does with the time that they have matters. The love between Anna and Jamie helps to remind each of them of this. Sickness and loss can occur at any time, and that makes it so important for love, both for people and ideas, to be the ultimate motivator. My Oxford Year may have a bittersweet ending, but there is also a lot of joy in it.