MR. MALCOLM’S LIST
★★★★
OUT 26 AUGUST / CERT TBC / 117 MINS
DIRECTOR Emma Holly Jones
CAST Freida Pinto, Zawe Ashton
A year before Bridgerton became everyone’s favourite Regency romp, there was Mr. Malcolm’s List. Sort of. For her feature debut, Emma Holly Jones has expanded on her 2019 short film of the same name to delightful results. Set in 1818 London, it sees Julia (Zawe Ashton) enlist her friend Selina (Freida Pinto) in a scheme to get revenge on eligible bachelor Mr. Malcolm after Julia failed to meet an item on his criteria for a bride. You won’t be surprised by who ends up with each other, but there’s a ton of fun in watching it unfold. It’s a consistently hilarious film, shored up by charming performances that serve the tender love story. A win for colourblind casting and period-romance lovers alike.