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Wicked Little Letters is surprisingly tame for the new period comedy that revolves all around the art of swearing.
Based on scandalous true events from the 1920s, Edith Swan (played by Olivia Colman) and her family are locked in a furious row with their Irish neighbour Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley), whose vulgar vocabulary and loose morals clash with their sleepy life in Littlehampton.
Their simple day-to-day devotion to community work and Bible study becomes threatened by a series of vulgar, insulting letters through their door and Edith’s parents immediately suspect the no-good Irish newcomer.
Rose maintains her innocence and female police officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) is compelled to investigate when the case starts affecting the whole village and her male colleagues seem oblivious to the raunchy goings-on.
With the stage set for a period drama like no other, Wicked Little Letters is great fun for families with older kids, but it’s a shame the razor-sharp comedy doesn’t stretch far enough and the obscene scribblings and outbursts eventually become repetitive.
Read more: Olivia Colman was ‘sleeping on people’s sofas’ and struggled to afford bus fare
It’s expected but a little disappointing that the neighbourly drama is framed as a screwball mystery, as certain narrative beats become obvious and dull once the actual culprit is revealed.
While enjoyably crass, by omitting certain key details the first half neglects opportunities for an edgier discussion on piety, abuse and repression.
Those themes are manifested exceptionally by Timothy Spall’s performance as Edith’s father Edward, who rules the Swan household with an iron frown and frequent verbal abuse.
His role often takes Wicked Little Letters into darker corners, and there’s sometimes a sense of tonal whiplash with his scenes. Like a stern headmaster shutting down what is effectively an extended (and post-watershed) Horrible Histories sketch.
While he’s perfectly cast, Spall’s ultra-pious discipline being surrounded by a farcical comedy means it’s not clear if we’re meant to laugh at or cower from Edward. It leads to an effective if misplaced sense of unease.
There are also some superbly subtle observations on the roles of women in the early 20th Century that might get missed in the maelstrom of four-letter-words. Gladys is referred to throughout as “Woman Police Constable” and the common parlance of the time never fails to sound ridiculous in this context.
Wicked Little Letters would work gangbusters with a large crowd as there are genuinely great gags scribbled, if a little hastily, throughout. Certain words never fail to raise a giggle, and the performances often rise above the puerile material, even if the direction is rather rote and too many characters get lost in the shuffle. (Malachi Kirby is done a disservice by mere minutes of screen time).
Hopefully director Thea Sharrock and writer Jonny Sweet will find their audience this week, though Rose and Edith’s profane quarrel will undoubtedly delight older families once it inevitably comes to streaming.
Wicked Little Letters is in UK cinemas from Friday, February 23.
