A 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a dark and absurd scandal, when the residents begin to receive wicked letters full of unintentionally hilarious profanities. A film by Thea Sharrock, starring Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan, Malachi Kirby, and Timothy Spall.

In 1920, after losing her husband in the war, Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley), a widow, and her daughter Nancy (Alisha Weir) have just moved from the Emerald Isle to West Sussex’s seaside town of Littlehampton. Rose quickly befriends Edith Swan (Olivia Colman), a devout Christian who lives with her manipulative father Edward (Timothy Spalll) and her obedient mother Victoria (Gemma Jones)

Edith feels that Rose doesn’t rightly fit in in a quiet seaside community, as Rose often fearlessly speaks her mind directly. Edith sees herself as a missionary on a mission to help Rose find a new path to become a respectable woman. However, their friendship starts crumbling down after the incident at Edward’s birthday party. Edward is never fond of Rose, thinking that Rose is a bad influence on his daughter.

The next day, child protection services visit Rose’s home, claiming to have been alerted to domestic disturbances. Rose, believing Edith called them to shame her, ignores Edith’s attempts to explain it wasn’t her doing. The rift between Rose and Edith deepens, and they haven’t spoken since.

Edith starts receiving anonymous letters filled with profanities about her. When the 20th letter arrives, Edward, convinced Rose is the culprit, decides to take the issue to the police station and demands her arrest. He coerces Edith to go to the police station and make a statement. Constable Papperwick (Hugh Skinner) promptly arrests Rose.

Woman Police Officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) suspects Rose isn’t the culprit. After comparing the handwriting in the letters to Rose’s, she forms a theory that someone else must have written them. She presents her findings to her superior, Constable Spedding (Paul Chahidi), but he dismisses them. Spedding argues that without concrete evidence, like catching the culprit red-handed, a handwriting theory wouldn’t hold up in court. Unfortunately, Gladys’s opinions are often disregarded by her male colleagues due to her gender.

Even though Constable Spedding clearly states that Officer Gladys is not on the case, it does not stop her determination to find out the truth. Having checked on Edith, Gladys accompanies Edith to the Women’s Whist. There, Gladys inquires Ann (Joanna Scanlan), Mabel (Eileen Atkins), and Kate (Lolly Adefope) if they think of other people who would send those letters to Edith. It appears that they don’t think that it was Rose who sent those letters, particularly Mabel, who says that she would bail Rose out if she had the money.

Whist is a classic English trick-taking card game which was widely played in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although the rules are simple, there is scope for strategic play. A standard 52-card pack is used. The cards in each suit rank from highest to lowest: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2. Whist is played by four players, who play in two partnerships with the partners sitting opposite each other. Players draw cards to determine dealer and partners, with the two highest playing against the lowest two, who have seating rights. To comment on the cards in any way is strictly against the rules. One may not comment upon the hand one was dealt nor about one’s good fortune or bad fortune. One may not signal to one’s partner.

Determined to help, Ann sells one of her pigs, raising the money to bail Rose out. Peeking through her window, Edith sees Rose returning home with Ann and Mabel. This realization cuts deep – her friends choose Rose’s side. However, the harassment escalates. The wicked letters that seemed to stop right after Rose was sent to jail suddenly reappear. But this time, she’s not the only target – the neighbors start receiving anonymous letters as well. Time is running out as Gladys must catch the real culprit before Rose’s trial verdict.

Directed by English filmmaker Thea Sharrock with a script written by Jonny Sweet, based on a true scandal which gripped Littlehampton in 1920, Wicked Little Letters features beautiful cinematography by Ben Davis, and a stellar cast includes Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, and Timothy Spall.

“Wicked Little Letters” boasts a powerhouse cast led by the phenomenal Olivia Colman and the ever-magnetic Jessie Buckley. They both deliver captivating performances, creating a hilarious and surprisingly relatable dynamic as their characters clash. Colman shines as the uptight Edith, while Buckley brings fire and sass to the role of Rose. The supporting cast, including Timothy Spall and Anjana Vasan, adds layers of suspicion. Their performances make the story relatable, drawing you into the lives of these characters and the scandal that rocks their community.

However, the film struggles with pacing. While a brisk 95 minutes, it can feel sluggish at times. The predictability of the plot leans heavily on the performances to carry the weight of the story. While they succeed in keeping us engaged, the lack of a more polished script for the central mystery and the antagonist’s motivations leave a sense of missed opportunity. This is particularly evident in the underwhelming final moments. Wicked Little Letters falls short of being a truly gripping detective story, and the humor, while present, doesn’t quite reach the dark comedic heights it seems to aspire to.

Wicked Little Letters premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2023. The film was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on 23 February 2024.