Is Wicked Little Letters Based on a True Story? Know the Facts

Is Wicked Little Letters Based on a True Story?

Yes, "Wicked Little Letters" is based on a true story. In 1918, an Irish immigrant named Rose Gooding moved to the small seaside town of Littlehampton, Sussex. She became friends with her neighbor, Edith Swan, who was very conservative. However, their friendship ended, and Edith accused Rose of sending a bunch of rude letters. This led to a trial and caused a big scandal in the town, making headlines.

The movie "Wicked Little Letters" is inspired by this real-life event. It stars Jessie Buckley as Rose and Olivia Colman as Edith. Timothy Spall, who plays Edith's father, Edward Swan, said he was surprised to learn that the story is true. He thought it was made up but was delighted to find out it was based on real events.

(Source: Radio Times)

Wicked Little Letters

"Wicked Little Letters is a British black comedy mystery movie that came out in 2023. Thea Sharrock directed it, and Jonny Sweet wrote it. The movie stars Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan, Joanna Scanlan, Gemma Jones, Malachi Kirby, Lolly Adefope, Eileen Atkins, and Timothy Spall.

It's based on a true story and is about a mystery investigation to find out who wrote lots of mean, rude letters to people living in the seaside town of Littlehampton. The movie first shown at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2023, and was released in the United Kingdom by StudioCanal on February 23, 2024. Critics generally liked the movie."

Wicked Little Letters Plot

In 1920, during the suffragette movement in Britain, Edith Swan, a single woman and devout Christian in Littlehampton, started getting hateful letters. This worries her and her strict father, Edward, and kind mother, Victoria. They suspect their neighbor, Rose Gooding, a single mom from Ireland.

Edith and Rose were once friends, but their friendship ended when Rose hit one of Edward's party guests. Rose is arrested but can't pay bail, so she has to stay in jail until her trial. Police officer Gladys Moss thinks Rose is innocent because the handwriting doesn't match, but her boss ignores her.

Gladys and some friends investigate and find out Edith is the real letter writer. Edith was angry at her father's mistreatment. With smart detective work, they prove Edith's guilt. Rose is set free, and Edith is sentenced to a year of hard labor. In the end, Rose and Edith have a moment of understanding.

Wicked Little Letters Review

On the review website Rotten Tomatoes, 80% of 165 critics liked "Wicked Little Letters," giving it an average rating of 6.8/10. The general opinion is that "Wicked Little Letters" is a fun comedy thanks to a strong cast, even though the mystery part isn't very clever. On Metacritic, the film scored 58 out of 100 based on 38 critics' reviews, which means the reviews were mixed or average.

Richard Roeper from the Chicago Sun-Times gave the movie three out of four stars. He said the best part of the movie is watching Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley perform, even though the mystery isn't very surprising because we know who the culprit is before the townspeople do.

Wicked Little Letters Cast