WICKED LITTLE LETTERS (2023) - Movie Review

Director: Thea Sharrock
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Olivia Colman, Timothy Spall, Gemma Jones, Malachi Kirby, Alisha Weir, Anjana Vasan
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, History, Mystery
Writer: Jonny Sweet
Runtime: 100 min
Rated: R for language throughout and sexual material
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

A 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a farcical and occasionally sinister scandal in this riotous mystery comedy. Based on a stranger than fiction true story, WICKED LITTLE LETTERS follows two neighbors: deeply conservative local Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). When Edith and fellow residents begin to receive wicked letters full of unintentionally hilarious profanities, foul-mouthed Rose is charged with the crime. The anonymous letters prompt a national uproar, and a trial ensues. However, as the town's women -- led by Police Officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) -- begin to investigate the crime themselves, they suspect that something is amiss, and Rose may not be the culprit after all.

Review:

Inspired by a real-life scandal that occured in 1920s Britain and shocked society to its core, "Wicked Little Letters" is a wicked little comedy with a razor-sharp mean streak. The stranger-than-fiction tale focuses on the mystery surrounding a series of obscene anonymous letters received by spinster Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and her family, which send the community into an uproar. Suspicions immediately fall upon her neighbor, the foul-mouthed and free-spirited young mother Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley), who ends up charged with the crime and facing prosecution. However, not all is as it seems, which prompts police officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) and some of the town's women to start their own private investigation into the matter, as they believe the real culprit is still at large.

The movie plays out like a farcical true crime story with plenty of mystery sleuthing and raunchy humor. The results are not always as hilarious as intended, but most of the humor does land. Director Thea Sharrock ("Me Before You") and writer Jonny Sweet ("Together", "Chickens") also have a lot to say about women's emancipation, misogyny and social freedom. There are even some psychosexual elements deeply embedded in the story, but for the most part the movie leans into the comedy side of things. That helps in keeping the movie lighthearted and fun, but it also dulls whatever impact its societal critique was aiming for.

Colman and Buckley are the movie's main attraction, spouting an impressive array of f-bombs and wittily mean-spirited insults while also bringing depth and complexity to characters that could have easily become cartoonish. Unfortunately, the mystery side of the story is disappointingly flimsy and its supporting characters don't stand out much, which means the movie is only at its best when Edith and Rose are on-screen.

To sum it up, "Wicked Little Letters" is a witty, breezy, well-produced period piece that incorporates satire and social commentary with mixed results. It doesn't break any new cinematic ground, but it's enjoyable for what it is and a good bit of fun if you don't mind a healthy dose of profanity.

SCORE: 7/10