The plot revolves around the mystery of profanity-laced letters which have been sent to buttoned-up good Christian woman, Edith Swan, played by Colman. Edith’s parents, played by the marvelous Gemma Jones and Timothy Spall, go to the police, insisting they get to the bottom of the cruel prank, as the letters become increasingly vulgar. They insist the main suspect has to be their neighbor, the foul-mouthed single mother Rose Gooding, played by Jessie Buckley, an Irish immigrant whose husband died in the war. Even though Rose insists she had nothing to do with the letters and there is no evidence or motive linking her to them, the police arrest her and put her on trial. Local policewoman Gladys Moss, played by Anjana Vasan, suspects there may be more to the story however, and takes it upon herself, with the help of some ladies from town, to do their own “off the books” investigation to try to get to the truth.
While the actual “mystery” becomes apparent pretty quickly, what makes Wicked Little Letters one of the most enjoyable watches of the year is the giddy abandon with which each actor inhabits their roles, especially Olivia Colman, who delivers yet another performance layered with pathos and humor, and Jessie Buckley, who’s at her best when exploring a character’s caustic, aggressive, controlled chaotic center, as she most definitely does here, with delightful shamelessness.
Colman and Buckley are sensational, as is the entire cast, but the silly truth of it all is, the best—and most fun—part of Wicked Little Letters is the use of language, especially the vulgar language. You’re here for all the cursing, and there is a lot of it, and it is just so much fun. You will giggle, you will guffaw, you’ll find it all quite stupid, because it is. And that’s exactly the point of all of it.
Of course, there is a serious undertone and message in Wicked Little Letters that’s not so fun, but, thankfully, the filmmakers don’t linger on it too long. Thankfully, they have Olivia Colman at the center, and she ably teeters between drama and comedy, finding the right tone in every moment. And it is her giggle that makes us giggle, reminding us of the absurdity of the moment, reminding us of the silliness of life itself.
Wicked Little Letters: a trifle, but some truly laugh out loud moments, with world-class actors at the helm. A fun, bawdy distraction.
Wicked Little Letters is available to stream on Netflix.