Wicked Little Letters

Directed by Thea Sharrock, Wicked Little Letters follows Jessie Buckley’s Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley) as she’s accused of sending profane letters to a series of local townspeople (including Olivia Colman’s Edith Swan). It’s appealing subject matter that’s employed to watchable (if entirely routine) effect by Sharrock, as the filmmaker, armed with a script by Jonny Sweet, delivers a mostly by-the-numbers endeavor that would undoubtedly feel right at home on PBS – with the comfortable atmosphere heightened and perpetuated by a narrative that generally unfolds as one might’ve anticipated. There’s little doubt, then, that Wicked Little Letters‘ entertaining-enough atmosphere is due predominantly to its uniformly terrific performances, with, especially, Colman’s often mesmerizing turn going a long way towards elevating the viewer’s attention and interest on a recurring basis. (The actress offers up scene-stealing work that only grows more and more compelling as the storyline unfolds.) By the time the satisfying closing stretch rolls around, Wicked Little Letters has confirmed its place as a true-life tale that fares decently enough (albeit in as forgettable a manner as possible).

**1/2 out of ****