Overcrowded as the subgenre may be, there are few pleasures in this world quite like a good whodunit; even if it’s not a particularly good story or mystery, there’s something fascinating about the ability to make light of something like murder without swerving too hard into dark humor.
It was just last year, however, that StudioCanal gifted us the most scandalous, horrific crime one could ever center such a story around. Indeed, instead of a nice, proper dead body to anchor the efforts of a spontaneous gumshoe or three, the film Wicked Little Letters features a series of mysterious, insulting letters, rife with profanity, upon the doorstep of one Edith Swan, whose polite Christian heart winds up simply shattered from the ordeal. And the scariest part? It’s based on a true story.
And it’s finally coming to North American cinemas.
What is the Wicked Little Letters North American release date?
Following its worldwide debut at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2023 and its U.K. release on February 23, 2024, Wicked Little Letters is due for a wide theatrical release in North America on April 5.
As alluded to earlier, the film follows the plight of one Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) who, after receiving an onslaught of anonymous, very rude, and foul-mouthed letters, pins the blame on her former friend Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley), a vulgar-tongued Irish immigrant with whom she had a fallout. Constable Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan), who doesn’t believe Rose is the perpetrator, is first to the scene, shortly before similar letters start appearing on doorsteps all over England. And with that, the race to catch the real culprit and clear Rose’s name is on.
At the time of writing, Wicked Little Letters boasts a 72 percent critic approval rating from 74 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, mostly citing the performances as the strong point. And let’s face it, with Colman and Buckley as your two leads, who would even need a plot?
(featured image: StudioCanal)
