Written by Andreas Babiolakis

Warning: The following review is of a film that is part of TIFF 2023 and may contain spoilers for Wicked Little Letters. Reader discretion is advised.

In case you didn’t think The One and Only Ivan — everyone’s favourite gorilla, family film that we all forgot about — didn’t say “fuck” enough, Thea Sharrock’s follow-up, Wicked Little Letters, should do the trick.

We head to 1920s England and immerse ourselves with a true story: one that Sharrock plays more for laughs than for its sheer audacity which is most of the fun and at least some of the weakness of Wicked Little Letters. Edith Swan (Olivia Coleman) — a middle-aged, single, heavily religious woman who lives at home with her parents — is targeted by nasty letters that arrive through her mail slot. She is called every gross insult under the sun. Fear not, dear reader, as Edith will persevere through the power of God (so she claims). Besides, we already know who the culprit is: next-door neighbour Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley): an Irish immigrant with a foul mouth who lives with her boyfriend and her daughter (whose father was apparently killed in battle). Who else could it be? That’s what Police Officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) wants to find out because she is the only one who thinks Rose is too obvious at first.

The only common ground these women share is that they feel the sexism of society breathing down their necks. Edith is seen as a childless spinster who is incapable of being anything outside of a housemaid for her controlling father (Timothy Spall). Rose is seen as anything but ladylike and she receives the brunt end of the wrath of many (her Irish heritage doesn’t help her case, either). Gladys is not taken seriously by her male cohorts at the police station and is even stymied when she tries to investigate these mysterious letters; her being the son of a championed officer doesn’t help her case (and it is inferred that her dad also was mistreated likely for being a Person of Colour). In that same breath, Wicked Little Letters — while wanting to be an empowering film — also has some misconceptions about what the ultimate goal of feminism can be. Because of the film’s silly nature, progress only gets so far. While we can’t make up lies about a true story for an agenda, perhaps the better framing of female success would suffice in a film where a woman wants to be respected by the very men who don’t think much of women at all, and where it is the woman who is blamed when a child is birthed out of wedlock. I know times were different and all of that, but this could have been an opportunity to truly seize what it felt like to be a woman back then; instead, Wicked Little Letters opts to be a comedy first so any resolutions are light and thus feel temporary.

If you ignore the sociopolitical shortcomings in a film that vows to represent the empowerment of women, then Wicked Little Letters is actually a bit of fun as the trio of dynamic, hilarious women at the forefront will invite you to their playground to see what they can do. Coleman is twisted in the way that only she can be as a woman who is so brainwashed and mentally broken that she may as well be on another planet. Buckley is as gruff as ever, yet we still find her endearing and root for her innocence to shine through. Then there’s the star that doesn’t get brought up enough because of the seamless marketing that comes from the reunion of the two The Lost Daughter Oscar nominees, and that’s Anjana Vasan of We Are Lady Parts fame. While I feel like her role as Officer Moss is written a little cartoonishly (to the point that it borders on Inspector Clouseau at times), Vasan opts for a character more sympathetic and emotive: there is sorrow and pain behind her gaze because she really wants to be the best officer possible, but she also hates her work environment. Together, the three leads pull you in various directions throughout the entire picture. It’s close to impossible to pick a winner because of what all three bring to the table (and how equally they carry the heavy lifting of the film). If you love loud comedy, Buckley’s antics will get to you. If you want something more reserved and introspective, Vasan will do the trick. Preferring both in moderation will lead you to Coleman’s performance.

As Wicked Little Letters saunters along, it will lead to the big twist of the film that you may see coming (it was actually the second person I had in mind who was sending the letters, but my first guess wasn’t too far off). Not leaving this obvious turn for the end is a wise choice because we then get to view the film through fresh eyes: how do these situations shift knowing what we now know? Besides, it is the aftermath that gets even twistier and even more intriguing. I was anticipating a complete cinematic collapse from early on, but Wicked Little Letters manages to keep going despite the odds. It doesn’t get masterful in any way, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t laugh or get at least a teensy bit attached to the film in anticipation of what would transpire and how. I left the film admitting that I actually had a bit of fun.

But then I considered the film as a whole and couldn’t help but wonder how much better Wicked Little Letters could have been had the film treated this fairly interesting true story with a little more seriousness. I don’t expect the film to be sullen, but we are dealing with quite an unusual string of crimes and revelations. Prioritizing the comedy to full effect here turns any possible jaw-dropping moments into temporary moments of you remarking “Oh, that’s neat.” and the punches of the film are pulled. You may not watch this film expecting to be engrossed in it and that likely isn’t the film’s intention, but taking on a story this unusual and full of inherent purpose and not seizing either opportunity is impossible to ignore. Still, if you are here for the laughs and a bit of a quirky time at the movies, then Wicked Little Letters is your escape for the afternoon and only for that. A story with the potential of major staying power will dissipate as soon as you exit the cinema.

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.