What a difference a century makes, eh? It’s hard to imagine a society in which you could be thrown in jail for a crass but harmless prank (whether guilty or not) but it really did happen in 1920s England, and it’s the basis for the delightful new film Wicked Little Letters. I had so much fun with this movie and compare it to a more lighthearted, female-led version of The Banshees of Inisherin. The mystery/comedy follows two neighbors who couldn’t be more different from each other: quiet, conservative Edith (Olivia Coleman) and loud-mouthed, fun-loving Rose. Rose moved to the small English town with her daughter Nancy (Alisha Weir) from Ireland, and though she and Edith got on well at first, their clashing personalities made the friendship impossible to maintain.

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The community is rocked by a huge scandal when the home Edith shares with her husband Edward (Timothy Spall) becomes the regular recipient of rude, vulgar handwritten notes targeting Edith. Rose is charged with the crime after the pair’s prior falling out is revealed, but the police department’s lone female officer Gladys (Anjana Vasan) isn’t buying Rose as the letter writer and decides to go rogue to find the true culprit.

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The mystery of who penned the letters is central to the plot, but the complex relationship between the two women is where the heart of this story lies. Though they’re so different, both women face a prison of sorts, with Rose’s being literal and Edith’s being a stifling home life where she clearly feels stuck. What I like most about the film is how even though it’s about a conflict between two people, neither really feels like the “bad guy”. I truly found myself rooting for both women’s happiness. Wicked Little Letters is a fun, lighthearted romp with a satisfying conclusion, and I really can’t remember the last time I had this much fun watching a period piece.