Wicked Little Letters is a 2024 comedy directed by Thea Sharrock and starring Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley and Anjana Vasan. The film recounts a true story from the 1920’s where residents of Littlehampton started to receive a series of “wicked little letters” filled with expletives.
Plot
After Edith (Olivia Colman), a respectable religious woman, receives close to 20 of these crude letters, she is urged by her parents to report the incident to the police. This leads to her coarse, Irish migrant neighbour Rose (Jessie Buckley) being charged with the crime. After more residents begin to receive the letters, the scandal becomes known nationwide, and the case is sent to trial.The comedy genre soon incorporates elements of a mystery / whodunnit (without the murder of course), as Woman Police Officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) fights alongside other residents to prove Rose’s innocence.
The film is equally dramatic as it is hilarious, with tense, heart-wrenching moments intertwine with the humour. It also serves as a commentary of what life was like returning from the First World War, especially for women, as society adjusts to its pre-war positions.
This is seen particularly with the story of PC Moss who, as the only female officer in the local force, finds herself constantly undermined and discriminated against by the male officers. Following her intuition, she takes all necessary measures to help prove Rose’s innocence, as well as her own place in the force. Vasan’s performance is moving and she plays such an important role with great passion. You can’t help but to root for her.
Performances
As always, Olivia Colman is a delight to watch on the screen. Her incessant profanities can only be described as hilarious, and I truly believe it would not have been as funny as it was, had the role been taken by anyone but her. Colman is so effortlessly funny that after the final scene I was out of breath because I just couldn’t stop laughing. She makes Edith a very sympathetic character, offering moments of sadness amongst the joy, and despite everything that happens you can’t help but love her character. Wicked Little Letters might just be my new favourite performance of hers!
Jessie Buckley brings her Irish charm through to the big screen as Rose. She is both a charming and powerful character, whose story is bound to move you emotionally. Her chemistry with every actor she shares the screen with doesn’t go unnoticed, and I found myself eager to see her return whenever she wasn’t on the screen. Her charisma is truly unbeatable.
Overall Opinion
Though there is little variation in shot types (averaging on medium and long shots) the witty dialogue by far makes up for it. As well as the dialogue, costumes are very important in telling us about the characters, and each person’s costume is fitted perfectly to them, helping to immerse you in the 20s.
Depending on how your family feels about swearing (there is a lot), this could be a great film to watch together, especially with older kids, though maybe not the grandparents. Otherwise, the film is great to watch with friends or even solo, you don’t want to miss it! Wicked Little Letters is in cinemas now.
Feature Image Credit : StudioCanal
