Wicked Little Letters

In selected cinemas from February 23rd

Wicked Little Letters is a curious film. Although it is set in 1920s England, any of its viewers that have spent a modicum of time on Twitter/X will find its story relatable.

Based on real events, Jonny Sweet’s screenplay recounts a minor scandal in which the residents of Littlehampton, a quaint seaside town, begin receiving obscene letters from an anonymous sender. The local police force soon charge Rose (Jessie Buckley), a raucous Irish immigrant who has long been in the crosshairs of her judgemental neighbour Edward (Timothy Spall), whose daughter Edith (Olivia Colman) has been a regular recipient of said letters. However, in true whodunnit fashion, we soon learn that the accused is not guilty, leaving a determined female officer (Anjana Vasan) and a ragtag group of civilians needing to prove her innocence.

Sweet, an acclaimed comedian, understands the connection between this odd tale and the social media landscape, in the sense that the perpetrator of the letters, even when their identity is eventually revealed, has no obvious motive for their actions beyond an irrepressible need to vent bile at the world. You can witness such senseless antagonism any time you go online, and this frivolous link means that Wicked Little Letters is a far more contemporary affair than it otherwise would be, with director Thea Sharrock (whose background is in theatre) ensuring that the aesthetic of her picture is contrastingly very much of its setting.

Indeed, the film has more than a whiff of an old-fashioned stage play about it, with Buckley, Colman, and an impressive ensemble cast clearly having a blast with Sweet’s often laugh-out-loud material. Although the culmination of the mystery at the heart of Wicked Little Letters offers little in the way of surprises, this is a fun flick that reminds us just how funny unfiltered profanity can be when used in a comedic context.