The Wasteland Reviewer

Wicked Little Letters (2024) Written Review

What can a few mean-spirited words possibly do? Apparently, they can tear apart a small town at the English seaside, Littlehampton, in the 1920’s. This is a true story of one person’s decision to share their deep dark feelings about their neighbors in the form of aggressive and inappropriate letters. There is a lot to navigate in such a story. Who are the victims? Who is doing this? Why does the system already in place fail to do right by all involved? Those are some great questions that are tackled in Wicked Little Letters. 

What does Thea Sharrock’s new black comedy offer in terms of this story? The lasting effect will certainly come in the form of laughter. This is a caustic and biting little film that finds humor in all its ensemble cast and all the unfortunate events that make up the film. There are a few impactful and poignant moments for its characters. There are some elements that Sharrock struggles with including the tone of the film. There are some heavy and dark moments that come out of nowhere and do not gel well with the mostly funny film up to this point. There is also some tension lost when the film decides to reveal its mystery. The “who” of the letters feels like it could have been utilized in a more effective way. 

Where does the heart of the film come from? The characters. For Rose (Jessie Buckley), a young single woman from another place, must struggle with her past, behavior, and responsibilities with her daughter. The dynamic between her and her daughter (who is incredibly cute and endearing) is one of the hearts of the film. You also find some poignant if not incredibly dark moments with Edith (Olivia Colman) as this reserved and conservative woman finds her voice in a more meaningful way. You also have a female cop named Gladys (Angana Vasan) who is not trusted by her superiors throughout the film despite her great work. She is the only one who really knows what is going on. As the film gets to its climax, these three characters have a narrative convergence and Sharrock can hit a high point for all three that just feels so satisfying. 

Does Wicked Little Letters dig a little deeper than just its strange and hilarious concept? The film has an interesting perspective on classism. Rose is not from around this small town and comes from a “lower class” of people. She is guilty until proven innocent due to her background. Rose is a conduit for forgiveness and reform. Can someone be forgiven for their previous behavior and grow without being saddled with a reputation? We see that burden on Rose and her daughter. There is plenty of sexism confronted in the film as well. Gladys’ experiences as a police officer are an obvious element of this. But Rose only gets respect when her now dead soldier husband is referenced. Edith is not taken seriously and is just a “poor innocent” woman who is being done to. But the exploration of her repression in the face of her father (Timothy Spall) is an interesting element. Finally, the small-town politics of it all is well done and really captures the feel of such an upbringing and small-town life. 

Outside of Sharrock steady hand, what else elevates this period drama to a truly engaging black comedy? The cast. Colman offers plenty of range from being a reserved and quaint woman to someone with a lot of darkness underneath (a perfect role for Colman to show off). Buckley is BIG in her choices, and she is having an absolute ball doing it. Rose is a boisterous and free-spirit woman who helps wake up this small town and Buckley owns her performance. Vasan is much more reserved in her turn, but her portrayal of Gladys is still quite impactful. Throw in veteran actors like Spall and Gemma Jones and you have quite a core cast. But the rest of this small-town ensemble deliver as well as each little character feels so authentic and stand out in their own way. 

Is Wicked Little Letters a fine little period piece worth your time? This cast is worth the price of admission with Buckley and Colman delivering fantastic and complex performances. The humor makes this quite the sharp little experience, but it never shies away from having something to say. If you love some good old fashioned British cinema and want to watch a strange tale, this one is certainly worth your time.