In the English seaside village of Littlehampton during the 1920s, strict conservative local Catholic Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) strikes up an unlikely friendship with her free-spirited and raucous Irish immigrant neighbour Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). Soon, however, a series of obscene letters are sent to Edith and the other residents, sending a shockwave through the village.

Based on the true story of the Littlehampton letters scandal, the movie takes some dramatic license to illustrate the claustrophobic effects of the patriarchy. Edith lives with her submissive mother (Gemma Jones) and overbearing, abusive father (Timothy Spall) who runs his household with an iron fist: a religiously devoted man who refuses to acknowledge the advancement of women in modern society. Policewoman Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) works against her peers and superiors to bring justice to those unfairly blamed for writing the letters, while also pursuing the truth. Rose herself is judged harshly by her neighbours for raising her daughter after losing her husband to the war. The letters serve as a flame to a powder keg of dormant prejudices, leading the liberally out-spoken Rose to bear the brunt of the townsfolk’s scorn.

As the movie’s main focus is on the circumstances giving rise to the writing of the letters, the actual mystery of the letters’ author and their motive may not prove satisfying to audiences. 

Verdict: A commentary on the effects of subjugation, the movie is a tonal misbalance of affecting drama and bawdy comedy. 3 stars.

Luke McWilliams, themovieclub.net. Viewed at Palace Electric Cinema.