Wicked Little Letters is currently streaming on Netflix UK, featuring Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley in a comedic showdown filled with inventive swearing. Wicked Little Letters is a British comedy film that captures the essence of an outrageous historical scandal through sharp humor and wit.
The film is based on an astonishing true story that unfolds almost exactly as depicted in the movie. The tale highlights how reality can often outpace fiction in terms of its peculiarity and intrigue.
This British comedy revisits the infamous Littlehampton poison-pen letters case, which became a national scandal and serves as the foundation for this entertaining film. The plot of Wicked Little Letters revolves around a series of vulgar anonymous letters that became a major scandal in 1920s Littlehampton.
In an interview with Digital Spy, Anjana Vasan, who plays police officer Gladys Moss, expressed her surprise at discovering the real-life basis of the story.
“Everyone on the cast had the same reaction when we read the script. We found it hilarious and absurd, but it was only when we learned more about the real events behind the story that we realized how much was actually true,” she shared. In Wicked Little Letters, Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley deliver standout performances that bring the eccentricities of the true story to life.
The film stays quite true to the original events, but for those interested in the full story—including the aftermath of the trial and the legacy of West Sussex’s first female officer—we provide a detailed account of what really happened. The film’s narrative is based on real events, with Wicked Little Letters providing a humorous yet insightful look into the bizarre case of poison-pen letters.
Wicked Little Letters‘ plot is rooted in historical facts, and the movie opens with a card indicating that the story is more factual than one might assume. Edith Swan, a resident of 1920s Littlehampton, and her neighbor Rose Gooding are real individuals whose feud became the center of a national controversy.
The conflict began over a communal garden dispute, leading Edith to exact revenge by sending scandalous anonymous letters, which she hoped would be blamed on Rose. These letters, filled with vulgar language, eventually became a major scandal that was discussed in Parliament.
The letters included phrases like, “The cakes you make look like they’ve fallen out of some fking sheep’s fking arsehole,” reflecting Edith’s attempt to insult Rose.
Jonny Sweet, the writer of Wicked Little Letters, described the letters as both pitiful and intriguing. “Edith tried to be a brutal swearer, but her efforts were more comical than menacing,” he said in an interview.
Despite the lack of evidence, Rose was arrested, tried, and sentenced to prison. After her release, Edith resumed sending letters, leading to Rose’s second, harsher conviction.
How was the poison-pen writer caught?
Edith’s scheme unraveled when authorities scrutinized the handwriting in the letters. Though initially dismissed, a notebook with similar handwriting, which Edith had sent to the police station, provided crucial evidence. Wicked Little Letters explores how Edith Swan’s attempts at revenge led to a national controversy that was discussed in Parliament.
Inspector George Nicholls discovered that Rose’s habitual misspelling of ‘prison’ was absent in the anonymous letters. Despite this, the evidence wasn’t enough to convict Edith until a sting operation using specially marked stamps finally exposed her.
In July 1923, Edith was found guilty and sentenced to 12 months in prison, clearing Rose’s name. For further details on the case, Christopher Hilliard’s The Littlehampton Libels: A Miscarriage of Justice and a Mystery about Words in 1920s England offers an in-depth exploration.
Wicked Little Letters: Who was police officer Gladys Moss?
Played by Anjana Vasan in the film, Gladys Moss was West Sussex’s first female police officer and played a crucial role in the case. The movie’s title, Wicked Little Letters, perfectly encapsulates the tone of the film and the scandalous nature of the letters at the heart of the story.
Jonny Sweet highlighted Moss’s challenges as one of the few women in the police force at the time. Before joining the police, she had a varied career, including service in the Women’s Police Service and as a governess.
Moss’s investigation was vital in proving Edith’s guilt. While the film fictionalizes certain aspects of her life, the essence of her story remains true. In 2015, Gladys Moss was honored with a blue plaque at Worthing Police Station, celebrating her pioneering role in law enforcement.