Wicked Little Letters Review

4 star satisfyingly sweary true-life tale.

Wicked Little Letters is a 2024 British comedy film, written by comedian Jonny Sweet (Chickens, Johnny English Strikes Again) and directed by Thea Sharrock (Me Before You, The One and Only Ivan).

It is available to buy and rent from digital platforms on 8th April and available to own on Blu-ray and DVD from 13th May, courtesy of STUDIOCANAL.

“Edith Swan takes it up the Swanee and she loves it more than Christmas Day.”

It’s a few years after the First World War and in the sleepy coastal village of Littlehampton, something disturbing is going on. Pious spinster and upstanding citizen Edith Swan (Olivia Colman – Broadchurch, Cuban Fury) has been receiving poison pen letters, which are very upsetting to the whole family, including her strict father Edward (Timothy Spall – Dream Demon, Mr Turner) and timid mother Victoria (Gemma Jones – Benediction, Ammonite).

They finally call in the police, and suspicion is levelled at their outspoken next door neighbour Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley – The Lost Daughter, Women Talking), an Irish migrant who lives with her daughter and her black lover Bill (Malachi Kirby – Boiling Point), following the death of her husband in the war.

Rose is locked up for the crime and awaiting bail, but local woman police officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan – Spider Man: Far From Home) has her doubts and begins an investigation with the help of several local ladies to prove her innocence.

“Her Majesty Miss Swan sucks ten c**ks a week, minimum.”

Wicked Little Letters is a very entertaining film, laugh out loud funny and featuring some outrageous and filthy new profanities. The sets and costumes are excellent, very evocative of the era and making it feel like an authentic twenties seaside town.

The insults are ridiculous and hilarious in equal measure and to hear them delivered so enthusiastically by Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley is a delight. They have great chemistry together and really make the film. It also manages to address issues such as women’s suffrage and male oppression (played brilliantly by Timothy Spall) without ever taking itself too seriously.

My only complaint is with the casting of some of the other parts, there would not be a black judge or an Asian female policewoman in this country for many years after this film is set and their presence only serves to break what would otherwise be excellent immersion. It seems a strange choice for a film which has such meticulous attention to detail in other respects.

That said however, it is still an absolutely hilarious film, thoroughly British and well worth adding to your collection.

“Miss Swan, you bl**dy f**king old saggy sack of chicken p*ss. You want f**king in the nose, you old beetle!”

WICKED LITTLE LETTERS will be available to buy and rent from digital platforms on 8th April and available to own on Blu-ray and DVD from 13th May.