Wicked Little Letters movie storyline. A 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a dark, absurd scandal in this riotous mystery comedy. Based on a stranger-than-fiction true story, “Wicked Little Letters” follows two neighbours: deeply-conservative local Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley).
When Edith and fellow residents start 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 might not be the culprit after all.
Wicked Little Letters is a 2023 British black comedy mystery film directed by Thea Sharrock and written by Jonny Sweet. The film stars Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan, Joanna Scanlan, Gemma Jones, Malachi Kirby, Lolly Adefope, Eileen Atkins, and Timothy Spall. Based on a true scandal, it follows an investigation into the anonymous author of numerous crude insulting letters sent to the residents of seaside town Littlehampton.
Wicked Little Letters premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2023, and was released in the United Kingdom by StudioCanal on February 23, 2024 and in the United States on April 5, 2024. The film received mixed reviews from critics.
About the Story
In 1920s Littlehampton, England, devout Christian and unmarried Edith Swan lives with her controlling father Edward and gentle mother Victoria. Edith is distraught to have received 19 anonymous crude letters insulting her with profanities. Edward calls the local Police Constable Papperwick over and accuses their neighbour, Irish migrant and single mother Rose Gooding, as the author responsible because of similarities in language to Rose’s foul-mouthed insults and attitude.
Edith explains that she and Rose were initially friends when Rose moved into town despite their differences. However, their friendship ended due to Rose refusing to apologise for causing a scene at Edward’s birthday after he and his friends insulted her. Papperwick arrests Rose at the pub and she is eventually sent to Portsmouth Prison for a few months, dismissing her claims that she didn’t write them, leaving her daughter Nancy in the care of her new partner Bill.
Woman police officer Gladys Moss is sceptical that Rose is the culprit due to a lack of sufficient evidence and differences in handwriting. However, Chief Constable Spedding forbids her from partaking in the investigation. She decides to ask Edith questions about Rose and the letters and meets Edith’s friend group at a women’s Whist club ― Ann, Mabel and Kate.
While Kate agrees with Edith that Rose is responsible, Mabel and Ann aren’t convinced and admit to liking her. Mabel and Ann later bail her out of prison, reuniting her with Nancy and Bill. However, Edith receives yet another letter, leading Edward to confront Rose, who insists she didn’t write it. Numerous other residents at Littlehampton, as well as throughout England, also start receiving the anonymous letters. Rose asks Gladys to investigate further to prove her innocence before an impending trial against her.
It is then revealed that Edith herself is the anonymous author of the letters, writing out vulgar profanities as a means of expressing her repressed anger towards the aggressive and controlling Edward. Edith writes another letter and mails it to herself.
However, Victoria reads it and has a fatal heart attack. When Gladys gets Edith to sign the death certificate, she notices that the “G” in Edith’s handwriting is similar to the ones on the letters (and on a sign she had written for her father in her childhood). Gladys’ evidence is rejected by Spedding, who suspends her from the force for interfering in the investigation. Gladys instead recruits Ann for her own private investigation to catch Edith in the act of posting her letters.
Wicked Little Letters (2024)
Directed by: Thea Sharrock
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan, Joanna Scanlan, Gemma Jones, Malachi Kirby, Lolly Adefope, Eileen Atkins, Timothy Spall, Hugh Skinner, Richard Goulding, Paul Chahidi
Screenplay by: Jonny Sweet
Production Design by: Cristina Casali
Cinematography by: Ben Davis
Film Editing by: Melanie Oliver
Costume Design by: Charlotte Walter
Set Decoration by: Shonagh Smith
Art Direction by: Romain Hémeray, Fabrice Spelta, Alice Sutton
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Classics
Release Date: September 9, 2023 (TIFF), February 23, 2024 (United Kingdom), April 5, 2024 (United States)
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