Wicked Little Letters (2023)
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An investigation into the anonymous author of crude letters sent to residents of a 1920s seaside town reveals a hidden web of secrets.
The story
In 1920, Edith Swan, a devout Christian in the seaside town of Littlehampton, becomes the target of a series of anonymous, crudely insulting letters. Her controlling father, Edward, becomes distressed and seeks help from the local police. The authorities initially suspect Edith's neighbor, Rose Gooding, a single mother and Irish migrant known for her colorful language. As the case gains national attention, a skeptical police officer named Gladys Moss begins to notice discrepancies in the evidence, leading her to question the official narrative and the true identity of the anonymous sender.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1920, Edith Swan becomes the target of a series of anonymous, insulting letters. Her father, Edward, suspects her neighbor, Rose Gooding, and the police arrest her. While Rose is in custody, a skeptical officer named Gladys Moss notices that the handwriting does not match Rose's. Despite being told to stop investigating by her superior, Gladys continues to look into the matter with the help of Edith's friends. It is eventually revealed that Edith is the true author, using the letters to channel her repressed anger toward her controlling father. After a series of complications, including the death of Edith's mother and a high-profile trial where Rose's personal secrets are exposed, Gladys and her allies work to prove Edith's guilt. They use a trick involving invisible ink to catch Edith in the act of mailing a letter. Edith is eventually arrested and sentenced to hard labor, while Rose is exonerated. The film ends with a final confrontation between the two women and a defiant moment for Edith against her father.
- First release year
- 2023
- Runtime (minutes)
- 100
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Thea Sharrock
- Writers
- Jonny Sweet · writer
- Genres
- period; black comedy; mystery
- Themes
- Repression; Social Class; Gender Discrimination
- Tone and mood
- Black Comedy; Mystery
- Premise and plot tags
- Historical; Mystery; Based on True Events
- Source material / true-story basis
- Based on the Littlehampton libels of the early 1920s, and research by Emily Cockayne.
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 58 · scale: 100 · review count: 38
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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