Review of Mr Malcolm's List (2022) by Rannynm — 12 Jul 2022

Mr. Malcolm’s List is the glamorous adventure of the year! The film transports fans into the Regency era for a tale filled with romance and exquisite music. Mr. Malcolm’s List is set in 1818, where the most eligible bachelor, Mr.

James Malcolm (Sope Dirisu) looks for a wife. He meets Julia Thistlewaite (Zawe Ashton) who he believes isn’t worthy of his courtship because she does not meet his list of qualifications for a wife.

Julia is embarrassed in society’s newspaper so she plans her revenge on Mr. Malcolm. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Allain. This film shows how Regency era pieces have taken the world by storm.

The movie is lighthearted, overflowing with gorgeous dresses, beautiful ballrooms and witty comedy. There was a short film based on Mr. Malcolm’s List previously released, with several cast members returning for this feature.

It’s wonderful to have the entire story fleshed out, taking its time to tell the entire tale without feeling rushed. Sam Heughan reprises his role as Henry. Audiences can see that he feels more comfortable with this role, which adds to the greatness of this character.

The story itself is unique and keeps viewers on the edge of their seat. With the series Bridgerton giving fans several love stories with people who are head over heels for each other, it’s refreshing to have Mr.

Malcolm’s List be the complete opposite. A woman taking revenge on a man for embarrassing her in society is as comedic as it is powerful. The writers have given Julia such power in proving herself worthwhile and she ends up finding love under unlikely circumstances.

The film gives personality and color to our ideas of what people were like in the early 1800s. Two friends spending their free time pondering on how to ruin the life of the most eligible bachelor in London, just because they think it’ll be fun, is exciting and totally unpredictable.

Every second of this film is compelling. The moral of this story is to honor yourself. Julia never lets anyone degrade her. Whereas some women during this time period would have let a man embarrass her and move on, Julia gives James a taste of his own medicine.

She is never upset about not meeting his requirements, but instead becomes furious that he has a list to begin with. I give Mr. Malcolm’s List 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults.

The film releases in theaters July 1, 2022. By Heather S.