Mr Malcolm's List

Selina Dalton moves through London's refined circles with a quiet confidence, educated and poised. The plan that sets this social world on edge begins when Julia Thistlewaite, the season's brightest spark, is publicly spurned by Mr Malcolm for failing to satisfy his exacting list of marriage criteria. Rather than collapse, Julia recruits Selina to step into the role of the man’s ideal match, hoping to humiliate him in turn and restore her own standing. Selina accepts, drawn by loyalty to Julia and a longing for a romance that feels different from the ordinary. As the pair navigate etiquette, flirtation, and deception, Mr Malcolm starts reconsidering what qualities really make a partner, and the stakes rise as the game unfolds today.

Directed by Emma Holly Jones, the film adapts Suzanne Allaine's novella Mr Malcolm's List, translating Regency London into a sunlit stage of manners, flirtation, and witty dialogue enhanced by elegant costumes, lush production design, and a hint of playful mischief.

Box office figures for this release were modest and not widely reported, indicating a limited theatrical footprint that stayed largely within select markets. The release blended theater and streaming to broaden reach. The film later gained attention on streaming platforms.

Cultural footprints of Mr Malcolm's List are modest but noticeable in its stylish period presentation. Freida Pinto and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù convey a natural rapport, while Zawe Ashton injects sharp wit. The film contributes to a growing interest in polished Regency romantics for modern viewers. It also recalls classic romance cinema.

Critical response skews positive on performances and the lively dialogue, while noting the light touch with heavier topics like class and reputation. The film explores autonomy in romance, the costs of deception, and the tension between public image and private desire, and the ethics of matchmaking linger.