If you’re looking for a shouty, sweary and all-round hilarious film, then look no further than the upcoming comedy-drama Wicked Little Letters. Yes, you’ll see Olivia Colman swear a hell of a lot in this bizarre story about a community in turmoil because of some anonymous letters.

Directed by Thea Sharrock, Colman stars as Edith Swan, a woman living in the seaside town of Littlehampton in the 1920s. Edith has very little in common with her fiery neighbour Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley), and when people in the town start to receive nasty letters filled with foul language, the community quickly blames Rose for the anonymous notes.

But this small-town scandal could have major consequences for Rose, who stands to lose custody of her young daughter. As the letters continue to stack up, police officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) starts to fear the case is more complex than it seems. With a group of resourceful women, Gladys must work to piece together the truth, clear Rose’s name and catch the real culprit.

The most intriguing part of Wicked Little Letters is that the story is based on a real-life case that did indeed shock the residents of Littlehampton and resulted in four different trials.

“I loved the script; I thought it was very funny and absurd,” Anjana Vasan tells Stylist. “Just bizarre and wonderful. But then I realised it was a real story and I had to know everything about the case. The truth really is stranger than fiction. A lot of what I assumed might’ve been made up for the film turned out to be true.”

Vasan plays buttoned-up and straight-faced police officer Gladys, who has to deal with the sexism and misogyny of her male colleagues while also attempting to solve a case that’s taken over the entire community. “There’s a rebellious spirit within her, and there’s more to her than first meets the eye. She really comes into her own as the story goes on, and I loved being a part of her journey.”

Gladys may not intend to do it, but she’s a character that has brilliant comedic timing while being utterly and completely deadpan. “Compared to the other characters, Gladys is unintentionally funny in her earnestness and awkwardness and definitely doesn’t consider herself to be a fun person at all,” shares Vasan. “It’s what I loved about playing her.”

One of the reasons why the three leading characters of this film all work so well together is because they all bring a different style of humour to the story. “I found it very hard to keep a straight face opposite Jessie and Olivia,” adds the We Are Lady Parts actor.

Wicked Little Letters may focus on a hard-to-believe case from decades ago, but underneath all the shouting and swearing, it’s also a beautiful story of community spirit and female friendship. 

“I loved how much it centres the women in the story. All the characters you see have a life of their own and I don’t think we see enough of those stories where it’s just women having a fun and silly time, with a dash of rebellion.”

Rounding out the cast is Joanna Scanlan (The Thick Of It, After Love), Timothy Spall (Harry Potter), Hugh Skinner (Fleabag), Malachi Kirby (Small Axe), Lolly Adefope (Ghosts), Bridget Jones’s Diary (Gemma Jones) and Alisha Weir, star of Matilda The Musical.

Wicked Little Letters will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on Friday 23 February.

Images: StudioCanal