When audiences turned in to watch Olivia Colman’s dark comedy film Wicked Little Letters, many assumed the outrageous profanities, bizarre plot twists, and absurd courtroom drama were the product of a writer’s wild imagination. However, the film—which showcases Colman at her most dark, witty, and razor-sharp—is based on the real-life Littlehampton Libel Case that captivated 1920s Great Britain.

The Real Scandal: Poison-Pen Letters in a Seaside Town

Set in the quiet, conservative coastal town of Littlehampton in Sussex, England, the true events began around 1920:

• The Anonymous Poison-Pen Campaign: Residents began receiving a barrage of deeply personal, venomous, and extraordinarily foul-mouthed letters. The notes used shocking 1920s expletives, targeting local figures and destroying reputations.

• The Primary Accused: Local resident Edith Swan (played by Colman in the film), a deeply religious, unmarried woman living with her strict parents, claimed to be the primary victim. She pointed fingers at her neighbor, Rose Gooding (played by Jessie Buckley), a boisterous, foul-mouthed Irish immigrant who did not fit the town’s rigid social norms.

• National Media Frenzy: Rose was arrested and imprisoned multiple times as the scandal escalated into a national headline story, drawing intense scrutiny from Scotland Yard, politicians, and the British press.

The Bizarre Historical Twist

The real-life investigation took a surreal turn when Police Officer Gladys Moss (one of Britain’s first female police officers) began conducting undercover operations in Littlehampton.

Through painstaking surveillance, including using invisible ink and marked postage stamps, investigators made a startling discovery: Edith Swan was actually writing and mailing the horrific letters to herself and her neighbors, using the campaign to frame Rose and settle petty local grudges.

Why Colman’s Performance Resonated

Colman’s portrayal of Edith Swan expertly balances the outward veneer of a repressed, polite 1920s spinster with the dark, unhinged energy of someone capable of crafting obscene attacks behind closed doors. The film highlights how historical expectations of gender, social class, and decorum allowed a scandalous crime to go unchecked in plain sight—proving once again that real history can be far stranger than fiction.

This official trailer and featurette break down the actual historical records and Littlehampton scandal that inspired the film.