Empire-waist dresses, an emphasis on decorum, and an all-consuming pursuit of marriage; each are hallmarks of a Jane Austen adaptation — or a well-meaning knockoff. Even to casual Austen fans, the Regency-era romance Mr. Malcolm’s List will be almost instantly recognizable as an imitation of the great novelist’s work,not that there’s anything wrong with that. While this moderately charming period romcom is diverting enough, it lacks the wit and emotional heft of Austen even as it misses the heat of Bridgerton. It leans more toward farce than most of Austen’s work, feeling more like a romance novel in its predictable beats but missing the necessary swoon factor (outside of its lead actor, at least).  

A night at the opera upends the life of Julia Thistlewaite (Zawe Ashton), but just not in the way she intended. Julia attends the see-and-be-seen event with the season’s most eligible bachelor, Mr. Jeremy Malcolm (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù), but he doesn’t want a second date after their lackluster conversation. “She flutters her lashes far too much,” complains Mr. Malcolm, sounding a bit like Jerry Seinfeld in his pickiness. He has a list of everything he desires in a wife, and Julia learns that she doesn’t meet his qualifications. She enlists the help of her dear friend, Selina Dalton (Freida Pinto), to pretend to be his ideal woman, with plans of breaking his heart once he falls prey to their schemes. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Selina begins to develop real feelings, complicating her frivolous friend’s plot. Meanwhile, the handsome Captain Henry Ossory (Theo James) shows up to add to the drama and potential pairings.

Like Bridgerton, director Emma Holly Jones’ debut film smartly eschews the traditional all-white casting that dominated this type of movie for decades, choosing instead to feature a diverse set of actors who are the movie’s strength. Jones previously directed a short based on the story by Suzanne Allain (who adapts her own work for the screen here), and a number of the actors return. Pinto nicely plays the heroine, but she’s overshadowed by much of the supporting cast. In a small part, Ashley Park’s delightfully annoying Gertie Covington feels like one of those great Austen side characters who threaten to steal the film à la Hugh Laurie’s Mr. Palmer in 1995’s Sense and Sensibility or Miranda Hart’s Miss Bates in 2020’s Emma. Oliver Jackson-Cohen is practically unrecognizable — and quite funny — as Lord Cassidy, Julia’s layabout cousin and partner-in-crime. As Julia, Ashton is perfectly petulant, as grating as she should be in her unnecessary attempts at revenge. But it’s Dìrísù who is the true standout in the Darcy-like role of Mr. Malcolm, alternating between cool reserve and warm vulnerability. Not enough people saw him in the unnerving horror film His House — and not enough people will see him here — but he is absolutely a star and would be a great pick for the next James Bond. 

Unfortunately, outside of its attractive cast, Mr. Malcolm’s List doesn’t distinguish itself visually either; Pam Downe’s costumes are fine, but even the gowns in the requisite ball scene don’t merit a second look. The costumes in a costume drama are meant to be part of the fun, but they’re nothing special. The same goes for the locations and production design, which don’t elicit the type of ogling that is customary for a film set in this era. 

It’s unfair to expect Allain’s screenplay to match the writing of one of the English language’s most celebrated authors, but its shortcomings do help highlight Austen’s wide-ranging talents. There are a some great characters in Mr. Malcolm’s List, but its heroine is by far its least interesting and well-developed. There’s not much to Selina, other than her Fanny Price levels of goodness and Elizabeth Bennet’s intelligence. The movie is only mildly interested in class, with a few throwaway insults toward Selina and envy of Mr. Malcolm’s “20,000 a year,” and it doesn’t seem to care much at all for larger commentary. It’s occasionally witty, but it only inches toward being a comedy. Mr. Malcolm’s List doesn’t even seem all that invested in the era’s etiquette, which leads to some scenes that might have those well-versed in Austen and Bridgerton wondering if it will lead to (gasp) scandal, but it doesn’t.

Mr. Malcolm’s List isn’t a bad film; it has its charms and will likely keep Regency fans sated until the next Austen adaptation, which is thankfully never too far away. This is a loving pastiche, but its attempts at imitation just demonstrate how much it pales in comparison to the original. However, just as the 1995 and 2005 versions of Pride and Prejudice launched their respective Mr. Darcy’s to larger fame, this movie’s Mr. Malcolm will also attract more attention to the well-deserving Dìrísù. 

B-

“Mr. Malcolm’s List” is in theaters Friday.