Release Date – 23rd February 2024, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 40 minutes, Director – Thea Sharrock
When devout conservative Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) begins receiving a series of profane letters the finger is pointed to her foul-mouthed neighbour Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley), however Rose insists innocence.
The profanity in Wicked Little Letters never quite enters in Deadpool-esque creativity. For the most part the case is intentionally so, “no one swears like that” Jessie Buckley points out when trying to prove that the offensive letters which have been spreading across the small coastal town of Littlehampton can’t have been written by her. The finger has been firmly pointed her way since the first page of profane correspondence fell through the door of her next door neighbour Edith Swan (Olivia Colman). “In the end I think it’s just jealousy” she explains to the investigating police officer (Hugh Skinner) interviewing her after the 19th letter.
The relationship between the central pairing has long been turbulent. Despite highly devout Edith seeing herself as something of a missionary, looking to help her new neighbour as soon as she moves in at the dawn of the 1920s, Rose’s language and behaviour remains a great barrier to her joining the Christian Women’s Whist club. It’s similarities in the coarse language which lead many to believe that Rose is the one sending the offensive letters, however she continues to insist she’s innocent; why would she send a letter when 1. she has her young daughter, Nancy (Alisha Weir), to care for and think about, and 2. she could just say it?
Colman and Buckley are, as you’d expect, highly enjoyable in their roles. Clearly having a good time with the swearier lines and simply being on screen with each other. Yet, while very much marketed as a comedy there’s a lot more drama to Wicked Little Letters than expected. Edith is controlled and restricted by her outraged father (Timothy Spall) while Rose is perhaps hiding details about her life before arriving in Littlehampton, and indeed trying her best to look after Nancy.
On the other side of the investigation is police officer Gladys (Anjana Vasan – who truly shines when her character comes into her own in the third act), officially labelled as ‘Woman Police Officer Moss’ her job is checking in on the wellbeing of female victims of crime. For much of the time we focus on such points the film is very much upfront with what it is presenting with not much else below the surface. There’s a convention to such strands which differs from the potential fun there is to be had with the more comedic beats.
Comedic beats which offer a good deal of humour, and not just within the language that’s portrayed – although there are a good deal of occasions where the strong language provides an amusing flourish every now and then. While perhaps not anything raucous, although pushed by the enjoyment the cast are having delivering f-bomb laden lines of dialogue, the laughs generally have an effect, and there’s a good deal to chuckle at throughout, even if it does find itself broken up by some longer moments of drama with less resolve than is perhaps wanted, something which seems like it’s going to be the case a few minutes before the actual ending begins to arrive. Yet, for what it does provide there’s an enjoyable nature to Wicked Little Letters, largely pushed by a cast who are getting a kick out of the material they’re given.
The emphasis of Wicked Little Letters is on the titular sweary communication, meaning that the drama often feels somewhat standard, and eventually not entirely resolved. Yet, an enjoyable cast brings through a good few chuckles here and there throughout the untroubling run-time.
Just A Little Bit Random 