Film

Twelfth Night, or What You Will

Name: Twelfth Night, or What You Will
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Released: 2003
Cast: Parminder Nagra, Ronny Jhutti, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Claire Price, David Troughton

Romantic comedy

This 2003 adaptation plants Shakespeare's gender-bending romance in contemporary London, casting British-Asian actors as Viola, Sebastian, Orsino and Olivia. It's nimble and warm, trusting the text while letting the modern setting breathe. A Shakespeare film for people who find most Shakespeare films stodgy—funny, sexy, genuinely felt.

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love Shakespeare's wordplay and mistaken identities played straight, and you want to see how a classic comedy of errors survives being moved into a modern British Indian household.

Skip it if you want Shakespeare kept in doublet and hose, since the setting and accents shift the play's feel, and the comedy leans on a mood more than on the original's sharp verse.

What it asks of you: Around two hours, with a patient rhythm that lets scenes breathe, and it rewards attention to the dialogue more than to big set pieces.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

10 Things I Hate About You1999

Another Shakespearean transplant (The Taming of the Shrew) that understands teen comedy and romantic chaos can coexist with real emotion. It has the same lightness of touch and genuine warmth.

But It's specifically pitched at 90s teen sensibilities, which may feel dated if you want something less locked to its era.

Shakespeare in Love1998

A film about Shakespeare writing *Romeo and Juliet* that captures the pleasure of witty, fast-paced banter and the actual pain of romantic longing. Similar blend of comedy and surprising depth.

But Some find it too cute or anachronistic. It prioritizes charm over historical accuracy.

Much Ado About Nothing1993

Branagh's take on another Shakespeare comedy—equally playful, equally aware that sarcastic banter is how people in love sometimes talk. Gorgeous and buoyant in a similar register.

But It's longer and more elaborate than this version, which may feel like overkill if you prefer something sleeker.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Twelfth Night, or What You Will

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Bend It Like Beckham2002

Both center British-Asian characters navigating desire and identity in contemporary London, treating that experience as both funny and serious, never reductive.

British-Asian comedy-drama about identity, family, and female desire that similarly refuses to choose between humor and genuine feeling. It has the same cultural specificity and warmth without being reverential about either.

But It's a sports film first and foremost; if you're not engaged by soccer or coming-of-age sports narratives, that may overshadow the romance.

Four Rooms1995

An ensemble comedy that moves fast, trusts its cast, and understands that good chemistry between characters can carry almost anything. Same kind of fizzing energy.

But It's intentionally slight and silly in a way that won't work for you if you need deeper stakes or narrative weight.

Clueless1995

A comedy that adapts a 18th-century novel while maintaining perfect control of tone, humor, and actual feeling. Proves adaptation doesn't require being reverent.

But It's set in 1990s Beverly Hills wealth, which creates a very different world from contemporary London and may feel too far from the source material.

A Midsummer Night's Dream1999

Another Shakespeare comedy filmed in a contemporary setting (a decaying mansion and gardens), with similar focus on ensemble chemistry and the chaos of attraction.

But It's considerably more experimental in its visual language, which may feel either fresher or more self-conscious depending on your taste.

Love Actually2003

Released the same year, similarly multicultural in its casting, and built on interlocking romantic storylines with the same tone of romantic comedy as emotional truth.

But It's sprawling with multiple plots rather than focused on one; that structure may feel scattered or overstuffed.

The Importance of Being Earnest2002

Oscar Wilde adapted for film with similar lightness and wit. It understands that comedy comes from character and that the text can be trusted to breathe in a modern context.

But It's entirely British in setting and sensibility, which is a different energy from the multicultural framing here.

Mansfield Park1999

Both adaptations root themselves in a specific cultural and geographical present rather than a generic 'timeless' setting, using that specificity to deepen rather than diminish the source.

A literary adaptation that reimagines the source material entirely—different era, different cultural context—but maintains the emotional truth and romantic complexity. Proves adaptation can be radical and still work.

But It's visually quite different in tone: more somber, more formally composed. It won't give you the lightness of comedy.

The Serpent2021

Both feature exceptionally strong lead performances that ground the material in psychological truth rather than surface charm; both trust the audience to follow emotional complexity.

A limited series with Tahar Rahim playing against type in a role of moral complexity. It has that same quality of being genuinely stylish while remaining emotionally honest—no false notes, no winking.

But It's a true crime drama about a serial killer, so the register is entirely different: dark, serious, sometimes disturbing. Zero comedy.