‘Wicked Little Letters’ review: Foul-mouthed fun with Jessie Buckley, Olivia Colman

Poison-pen letters scandalize a tiny British village in ‘Wicked Little Letters,” opening in Boston on April 5.

By Dana Barbuto/Boston Movie News

If you love British comedies (doesn’t everyone?), then “Wicked Little Letters” has the write stuff. From the moment the screen lights up with the cheeky message, “This is more true than you think,” you know you’re in for some linguistic laughs in Thea Sharrock’s comedy mystery, written by Jonny Sweet.

The movie stars the dynamic duo of Jessie Buckley and Olivia Colman, the former an Oscar nominee and the latter a winner, for playing the same role at different ages in “The Lost Daughter.” There won’t be any awards for their work in “Wicked Little Letters,” but there are a lot of laughs. Colman is the prim and proper Edith Swan, and Buckley plays the feisty Irish firecracker, Rose Gooding. Their unlikely friendship-turned-feud is the film’s center, driving the plot forward with a delightful mix of sugar and spice. I haven’t had this much foul-mouthed fun since HBO’s “Veep.”

Olivia Coleman as Edith Swan, Jessie Buckley as Rose Gooding in 'Wicked Little Letters." (Parisa Taghizadeh/Sony Pictures Classics) — *Olivia Colman as Edith Swan, Jessie Buckley as Rose Gooding in ‘Wicked Little Letters.” (Parisa Taghizadeh/Sony Pictures Classics)*

A spinster in denial, Edith is shocked when she begins receiving anonymous obscenity-laced letters filled with insults and profanities. In one of the milder missives, Edith is told she “takes it up the swanny and loves it like Christmas Day.” Who could wield such a venomous pen? Edith’s stern father (Timothy Spall) points the finger at the “strumpet” next door—a woman who smokes, drinks, curses, and lives with her young daughter (Alisha Weir) and boyfriend (Malachi Kirby). Thus, Rose finds herself accused of libel.

The scandalous letters quickly spread beyond their quaint seaside village in Sussex, sparking a national sensation in post-World War I England. As headlines dub Rose the “Poison Pen Lady,” the town’s women, led by “woman police officer” Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan), launch their own investigation, uncovering surprising truths.

Sharrock, known for 2016’s “Me Before You,” capitalizes on the film’s period charm and a talented supporting cast, including Joanna Scanlan and Eileen Atkins as Rose’s sleuthing squad, Gemma Jones as Edith’s reserved mother, and Paul Chahidi and Hugh Skinner as hapless constables.

Based on the real-life Littlehampton Letters scandal, the film lightly touches on societal expectations for women, but it doesn’t delve deeply into gender norms. By the third act, the script starts to repeat itself, losing momentum in its madcap finale, where an overly elaborate trap is set to catch the letter writer—a twist that attentive viewers will see coming. After all, the writing is on the wall.