Wicked Little Letters

Wicked Little Letters

Company type	Film
Industry	Motion picture
Founded	2023
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Black comedy mystery film

Wicked Little Letters is a 2023 British period black comedy mystery film helmed by director Thea Sharrock, with a screenplay by Jonny Sweet. The cast features Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan, Joanna Scanlan, Gemma Jones, Malachi Kirby, Lolly Adefope, Eileen Atkins, and Timothy Spall. Drawing inspiration from the 1920s Littlehampton libels, the story centers on the inquiry into who is behind a series of offensive anonymous letters sent to inhabitants of the coastal town of Littlehampton.

The movie had its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2023 and was subsequently released in the United Kingdom by StudioCanal on 23 February 2024. It garnered mostly favorable reviews from critics and earned $27.2 million worldwide, surpassing its $12.6 million production budget.

Plot

Set in 1920, Edith Swan, a devout Christian living in Littlehampton, becomes the recipient of hateful correspondence, causing distress to her authoritarian father Edward and her mild-mannered mother Victoria. After receiving nineteen offensive letters, Edward enlists the help of local law enforcement, who suspect their neighbor Rose Gooding, an Irish immigrant and single mother.

Although Rose is known for her coarse language, Edith testifies that they were once friends until Rose head-butted a guest during Edward’s birthday celebration. Following a child protection agency visit—believed to have been prompted by Edith—Rose ends their friendship.

Rose is arrested but cannot afford bail and remains in custody pending her trial scheduled two and a half months later. She entrusts her daughter Nancy to her partner Bill. Police officer Gladys Moss doubts Rose’s culpability based on handwriting discrepancies but faces opposition from the misogynistic Chief Constable Spedding.

Gladys consults Edith’s acquaintances Ann, Mabel, and Kate for further insight. While Kate harbors animosity toward her, Ann and Mabel show sympathy. Rose initially seeks Gladys’ assistance but is turned away; subsequently, Ann and Mabel post bail for her release. After Rose’s discharge, similar letters continue to circulate, with locals blaming her once again. The case attracts national media attention, prompting Gladys to support Rose as she recognizes their shared experiences of discrimination.

Privately, it is revealed that Edith herself is the author of the letters, using them as an outlet to express resentment towards Edward’s domination. She writes another letter addressed to herself; Victoria intercepts it and suffers a fatal shock. Gladys detects similarities between Edith’s signature and those on the letters but is suspended by Spedding for pursuing the matter further. Undaunted, Gladys enlists Ann, Mabel, and Kate to conduct a covert investigation without involving Rose.

Edith manages to avoid suspicion while posting another letter. On the eve of the trial, Rose discovers that Edith’s handwriting matches the distinctive G found on a painted commercial sign.

During the trial, Rose acknowledges her coarse reputation but denies sending the letters; her defense attorney points out similarities with Edith’s handwriting but is dismissed. The prosecution reveals that Nancy was born out of wedlock, contradicting Rose’s claim that Nancy was fathered by a deceased Great War soldier, which upsets Nancy and Bill.

Edith confronts Edward about his controlling behavior; he admits to alerting child services about Rose and silences her. Gladys and her allies prepare special invisible ink stamps to catch Edith in the act with her next letter. When Spedding attempts to arrest Rose prematurely, she confronts Edith directly, provoking her into mailing another letter. Gladys intercepts it and uses the invisible ink evidence to prove Edith’s guilt, resulting in Edith’s arrest and Rose’s acquittal.

Following these events, Edith expresses remorse over their fractured friendship and defiantly curses Edward in public. She is sentenced to twelve months of hard labour, while Rose faces no additional charges. Gladys receives recognition for her dedication throughout the case.

Production

The storyline and societal backdrop of the film are inspired by historian Emily Cockayne's works, Cheek by Jowl: A History of Neighbours and Penning Poison: A History of Anonymous Letters.

Unveiled in May 2022, the project announced Thea Sharrock as director, with leading roles portrayed by Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley. By September, additional cast members such as Anjana Vasan, Timothy Spall, Gemma Jones, and Eileen Atkins had joined the ensemble.

Filming took place between September and early October 2022 at various sites including Arundel, Worthing, and the former Crown Court building in Aylesbury. The visual elements were overseen by cinematographer Ben Davis. Key scenes were also shot on Stage 1 at Pinewood Studios.

Release

The film made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2023.

In November 2023, distribution rights for North America and China were secured by Sony Pictures Classics, while their affiliate company Stage 6 Films obtained international distribution rights covering Latin America, Scandinavia, Asia (excluding China), Eastern Europe, the CIS, and the Baltic region.

The United Kingdom saw the theatrical release on 23 February 2024. Subsequently, the film was made available on Netflix in both the UK and US markets through initial-window agreements with distributors on 26 and 27 July respectively.

Richard Roeper from the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three out of four stars, commenting, "The primary enjoyment in Wicked Little Letters comes from watching Colman and Buckley’s performances; the mystery itself is rather transparent as the perpetrator is revealed well before the community figures it out."

See also

• Le Corbeau (1943 film)