WICKED LITTLE LETTERS -- A Foul-Mouthed Comedy That is Decent Enough

Review by Camden Ferrell

Wicked Little Letters is the newest movie from director Thea Sharrock and marks the feature writing debut of Jonny Sweet. This movie had its premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. Even if it doesn’t make the most of its extremely talented cast, this is a movie with enough enjoyable moments to overcome how quickly its novelty wears off.
 
The movie is based on a true story of a scandal that took place in a small town in 1920’s England. Edith is a devout Christian woman who lives with her parents and is horrified to receive numerous profanity-ridden letters that insult and belittle her. When this gets reported, it is first believed to be the work of her Irish immigrant neighbor Rose who is known for her foul mouth and crude behavior.  However, as time passes, more information is revealed about the letters that shock the entire community. This is a fun story that combines some crass shock humor and mystery and had the potential to make great use of its leading ladies.
 
The real appeal of this film’s script comes from its vulgar premise. However, these profane jokes and comments lose their charm and novelty quite quickly. Since it’s the premise of the movie, these particular moments persist throughout and suffer from diminishing returns quite notably. However, it does benefit from the subplot involving Gladys, a policewoman who is trying to get to the bottom of the whole ordeal. Additionally, there are some interesting character moments throughout that gives the movie a heart at its core.

By far and away, the best part of this movie is its performances. The material provided doesn’t get the most mileage out of their talents, but they are still wonderful to watch. Led by Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley, they are both great character foils and play off each other well. Their comedic timing is entertaining, and they bring their trademark charm to their roles nicely. The supporting cast, consisting of Anjana Vasan and Timothy Spall among others, isn’t given nearly as much to work with, but they are decent with what they are given.
 
This movie doesn’t aim to tackle any thought-provoking social issues related to its premise, but it doesn’t need to. The director understands that this movie was never meant to incite conversation or profound discussion, and the movie operates under that umbrella of casual entertainment where it thrives best. It’s the kind of movie you can nonchalantly watch with family on a nice afternoon and get a few good laughs out of. It’s not particularly great as a movie, but it’s exactly what it needs to be.
 
Wicked Little Letters has some wit to go nicely with its large number of expletives. Viewers won’t be blown away by its humor, but everyone can still get a kick out of Buckley and Colman doing their respective thing on screen. Even if it could have been better, it’s still an enjoyable comedy, nonetheless.
 
Wicked Little Letters is in theaters March 29.
 
Rating: 3.5/5