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In recent years, Regency romances have grown in popularity—from new Jane Austen adaptations in theaters to new period romances in bookstores. Audiences are discovering (or rediscovering) the wit and charm of the genre. And all of the usual elements of the classic Regency romance play a part in Mr. Malcolm’s List.
Mr. Malcolm’s List sets out to break some hearts with Julia Thistlewaite (Zawe Ashton), a fashionable young woman who has been humiliated by her rejection by London’s most eligible bachelor, Jeremy Malcolm (Sope Dirisu). After discovering that Mr. Malcolm has a list of requirements for a future bride, Julia devises a plan to get her revenge. She brings her childhood friend, Selina Dalton (Freida Pinto), from the country with the intention of turning her into the perfect woman—who will then break Mr. Malcolm’s heart. But she doesn’t expect the two to fall in love.
It doesn’t take long for Selina to fit right into London society, with its balls and its gowns and its grand estates. The film definitely offers all of the romance and grandeur that fans have come to expect from a Regency romance, along with a solid sense of humor that sometimes goes amusingly over the top in a way that would most likely make Jane Austen herself chuckle.
Like Austen’s novels, this romance is also filled with interesting (if not entirely likable) characters—from vain and bossy Julia, whose bruised pride kicks off the whole story, to Mr. Malcolm, whose own arrogance and vanity may just cover up his own insecurities. And, of course, at the center of it all is Selina, who’s admittedly too good to be true. She may be the poor daughter of a country clergyman, but she’s smart and well-spoken with a heart for caring for those who need her assistance. It’s no surprise that any man would fall for her—which brings in a little bit of tension between her potential suitors (though Theo James’s bland Captain Ossory is no real competition).
Of course, the outcome here isn’t entirely surprising; the story fits into the formulas that Jane Austen devised two centuries ago. But that doesn’t really take away from its lovable Regency romance charms.
It may not be especially new or ground-breaking in its storytelling, but the characters and their connected stories and the period romance of it all make Mr. Malcolm’s List an enjoyable choice for girls’ night or date night. Jane Austen would approve.
You can find Mr. Malcolm’s List in theaters starting on July 1, 2022.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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