You can never go wrong with Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley, especially when they go head to head-in what can only be described as a swear-off. On the surface, Wicked Little Letters seems very one-noted, but the clever script from Jonny Sweet, the delightful performances and the direction from Thea Sharrock elevate the end product.

Based on a real-life scandal from the 1920s, Wicked Little Letters recounts the scandalous story of neighbours Edith Swann (Olivia Colman) and Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley), who one day are embroiled in controversy when obscene letters start arriving at Edith’s door, and later others and the suspicion falls on Rose.

The film could have been very one-note, even heavy-handed, but Sweet’s script brings in subtlety that crafts a nuanced story that explores how women were treated and continue to be treated in our society. Hidden behind the foul language stands a film about women and their place in the world and how society views them.

Olivia Colman has been one of the finest acting actresses for a while, but she has primarily worked in more dramatic capacities for the last few years. This lets her use all the wits and her facial expressions that we have all become accustomed to while watching her do press. It is delightful to see her grow into the role, and the film allows her to play this role in an unhinged way that will enable her to showcase her comedic chops just like she did all those years ago during The Peep Show years.

But Colman isn’t the only wonderful one in this. Jessie Buckley provides some of the biggest laughs of the film, but also the emotional core of it. She brings this vulnerability to Rose that maybe would have been absent in someone else’s hands. Even with her hard shell exterior, she lets a little vulnerability peak at the correct times and crafts a performance that rivals Colman’s. Her performance anchors the entire film; she drives so much of the story and its message that without her and her work, the film would not be able to stand as tall as it does.

And that is what the film does so well, showcasing these two women, pitted against one another by the world – the men in their world. The best example of that is the police not even trying to find the culprit even if the evidence doesn’t seem to conclude without a doubt that Rose is the guilty one; they refuse to listen because they did not discover it but instead, “Woman” Police Officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) is the one who seems convinced. 

Rose and Edith just wanted to be friends, to help each other and yet, society forced them into conventions and worlds that never fit them. Edith by a father (Timothy Spall) who refuses to let her go to become her person, and Rose by her past and how society sees her, making her guilty just because of how she talks and acts.

The whodunnit aspect of the film interlined with the clever use of the central dynamic, elevates it from just a good laugh. The twists and turns of the film help it become more than just a straight comedy, crafting a commentary about how the world treats women. The men in the movie like to take credit for everything, but only the women in the film even try to find the truth. In the end, the film quickly becomes a great commentary about the treatment of women, the expectations that are put on them and who they are supposed to be.

There is a lot to love about Wicked Little Letters, especially the performances from Colman and Buckley, but in the end, the humour and its message make this one work. It is a breath of fresh air and a laugh that sometimes leaves you gasping for air.