Mr Malcolm's List (2022)

Mr. Malcolm’s List is the kind of Regency romance that feels like a warm candlelit room: witty, well-mannered on the surface, and quietly aflame with longing underneath. Emma Holly Jones lets the pleasure come from character and chemistry rather than spectacle, and Freida Pinto and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù make every polite conversation feel like a duel fought with eye contact and restraint. The script has a light, old-fashioned charm—more smiles than swoons, more emotional intelligence than melodrama—so even the scheming carries a surprisingly tender heartbeat. If you prefer your period pieces gritty or your comedies broad, this may feel too gentle, but if you’re in the mood for a sweet, emotionally vibrant rom-com with real romantic spark, it’s an easy yes.

Mr Malcolm’s List wants to be a glossy, Austen-adjacent romantic comedy with a revenge hook and a modern, inclusive cast, and on that basic level it works well enough. The problem is it rarely surprises you: the beats are familiar, the misunderstandings arrive right on schedule, and the whole thing can feel a bit lightweight for a story that flirts with real humiliation and social stakes. Freida Pinto and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù bring charm and warmth, but the filmmaking and visuals don’t have the distinct sparkle you might expect from a Regency crowd-pleaser. If you’re craving something sharper, funnier, or more visually sumptuous, this may leave you underfed; if you just want a gentle, low-stress period romance with mild PG content, it’s an easy watch.