I wouldn’t call myself a history nerd per se, despite my love of period piece films. Sure, I like to keep myself somewhat educated on major historical events. Every so often, however, I get positively tickled coming across stories of something not so major that happened in the past. A hilarious prank on a Royal. An act of vandalism. An unsolved mystery about a theft. Just little stories that I can dwell upon randomly for years to come, extra exciting if less people know about them. And if a movie happens to be made about one of these happenings? I’m there for it.

Wicked Little Letters is a dark comedy based on real events in the small town of Littlehampton, England in the 1920s. Edith Swan (Olivia Coleman) is a kindhearted spinster living with her strict parents. When she starts receiving insulting letters with crude language from an anonymous sender, her father (Timothy Spall) insists on her to file a police report accusing their neighbor Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley) of the crime. Rose is an easy target because of her foul language, liberal morals, and Irish origin. Even though she claims innocence and has no true evidence against her, Rose must stand trial for the crime. In the meantime, more women around town begin receiving these letters. Now the town’s first “Lady Police Officer” Gladys Moss must take it upon herself to get to the bottom of this case and find the real culprit, or else Rose will be sentenced to prison and lose custody of her daughter.

I was pleasantly surprised upon watching this film that it was in fact, a comedy. Perhaps I’ve been seeing too many “court case” films in the last year, and was bracing myself for something serious once more. The tone of this film is definitely a breath of fresh air, as it’s by far the most lighthearted mystery and court case film I’ve seen. While it’s definitely a comedy, it still treats the more serious subject matter with a level of respect that many funny films can’t seem to get right.

However, beneath the surface-level humor and mystery is a deeper message about the importance of female solidarity in an era of still rampant patriarchy. The bond between Edith, Gladys, Rose, and their other female counterparts, as well as their struggles against the oppression of the men around them, are showcased throughout the movie in a poignant albeit humorous way. I also enjoyed a historical film about common town people for once, as most of the time it’s strictly stories about the wealthy and titled.

Olivia Colman’s comedic charms truly shine in this film, taking what could be a somewhat dreary character and giving it life through her stellar performance. The way she portrays Edith’s journey from innocent Christian spinster to a strong and empowered woman is a masterclass in subtle yet effective character development, making her transformation from start to finish incredibly satisfying to watch.

An absolute scene stealer, Jessie Buckley delivers a captivating performance as Rose. With her charismatic and infectious energy, she brings a bombastically quirky personality to the character, adding depth and vulnerability to the mix. The way she plays the role is both believable and extremely entertaining, making her a highlight of the story.

Director Thea Sharrock kept the style of the film crisp and well balanced, ensuring that all elements came together perfectly to create a satisfying and engaging experience. Unfortunately, despite the great effort, I found myself having a hard time getting into the plot right from the start. I don’t think it’s anything to do with the plot itself, but my 2020’s mindset that crass, harassing letters are really not that concerning of an issue. By the middle of the story, I was definitely invested, at least. I can also say as a minor nitpick, the feminist message of the film was not always subtle. Not that it really should be, but the subtlety of the other aspects of the film were so well done, I just would have liked it to match.

I’m definitely glad to have watched Wicked Little Letters. Learning about a real life, yet very localized historical event will always fascinate me, and watching a period piece that isn’t an utter tear jerker is always a win. This film does a great job conveying the absurdity of 1920s British prudishness, while giving us a glimpse that their society has hope to change and improve for the better.