Do you like true crime but can’t handle watching another murderer or other violent offender? Get your fix without edge in the nice British comedy Wicked Little Letters , now streaming on Netflix. As the adage goes, sticks and stones can break bones, but words? Well, maybe they can hurt people after all (just not physically).
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WICKED LITTLE LETTERS : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The Gist: In the small British town of Littlehampton, cloistered and conservative Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) provides an act of Christian charity by taking in a new resident who migrated from Ireland, the spunky and spirited Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). The two mix like oil and water as housemates, regrettably. Simmering resentment turns to outright animosity when Rose lashes out at a guest of Edith’s father Edward (Timothy Spall) at his birthday party. With their spat common knowledge among the townspeople, there’s an immediate suspect — or perhaps, a scapegoat — when Edith begins receiving a series of hateful letters laced with profanity.
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But Rose being thrown in jail for the letter-writing campaign is where the story begins, not where it ends. There wouldn’t be much of a movie if the obvious culprit did the crime, after all, and she’s committed to clearing her name against the protestations of the local law enforcement community. With a few key allies, especially constable Gladys Moss (Anjana Moss), a real investigation based on evidence rather than hearsay gets underway to find the real culprit.
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What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Think The Banshees of Inisherin ’s frenemy storyline filtered through the disposition and sensibilities of The Great British Baking Show .
Performance Worth Watching: Few joys compare to watching Jessie Buckley sink her teeth into a role. She brings the fullness of her rambunctious spirit and physicality to playing Rose, and her streak of Irish irascibility makes the character a fiery joy to watch bristle against her English surroundings.
Memorable Dialogue: “I’ve read everything in the papers,” tells Lolly Adefope’s Kate to Edith, “Congratulations on your tragedy.” It’s characteristic of the pithy remarks that define the movie’s refined sense of humor, even when discussing
Sex and Skin: There are plenty of vulgar obscenities in the letter that refer to sex, but no actual sex in Wicked Little Letters . There’s a brief moment of Rose’s rear end when she moons the cops, but it’s not at all in a sexual context.
Our Take: No movie that puts Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley together can be entirely bad. But it should be better than Wicked Little Letters ends up being. Thea Sharrock’s film always feels a little too polite and gentle to make a real impact, pulling punches to avoid upsetting any viewer. Her primary concern seems to be ensuring that no one is upset by the film despite the true story touching on some upsetting topics, be they personal beefs or cultural taboos. Though Wicked Little Letters refers to some of the seismic developments shaking up their provincial existence from The Great War to the women’s suffrage movement, those are never explored beyond throwaway lines of dialogue.
Our Call: SKIP IT. Wicked Little Letters is not without its moments of pleasure and levity. Yet it never makes good on the promise of pitting Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley against each other, an enticing prospect after they played the same character in The Lost Daughter to Oscar-nominated effect. The movie is just too nice for its own good. If only these 1920s gals could settle their dispute like 2020s women and work it out on the remix .
Marshall Shaffer is a New York-based freelance film journalist. In addition to Decider, his work has also appeared on Slashfilm, Slant, The Playlist and many other outlets. Some day soon, everyone will realize how right he is about Spring Breakers.
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