The British must put some kind of magic in their tea as they have more or less perfected the artof quirky, yet heartwarming dramedies. Last year, it was The Ballad of Wallis Island, while previous years offered Yesterday , The Personal History of David Copperfield , and Paddington . And if we go back further, it would be Monty Python, Wallace & Gromit, Death at a Funeral, and A Fish Called Wanda . This year, the torch is passed to Louis Paxton’s directorial debut, The Incomer . And if you have a soft spot for delightfully odd, eccentric British comedies, consider this your invitation for The Incomer .
On a remote island in the Orkney Isles, siblings Isla (Gayle Rankin, House of the Dragon ) and Sandy (Grant O’Rourke, Grow ) spend their days hunting birds and talking to mythical beasts while warding off outsiders. They are content with their isolated lives, but deep down they yearn for something more. However, their lives change when Daniel (Domhnall Gleeson, The Paper ), an awkward government official, arrives to relocate them.
The Incomer’s opening moments make clear that the very act of storytelling is going to be at the heart of this tale. Isla and Sandy were raised on fables about their tiny isle, stories passed down with the solemnity of scripture. The stories speak of the Finfolk, who permit humanity to remain on this island as long as there is a human sacrifice every generation. Others are warnings about mainlanders and the terrible “gifts” they bring with them. At first, these tales feel like the usual folklore meant to enchant and teach children. But one soon realizes that these were never bedtime stories. These are stories their parents have told were heavily constructed myths designed to obscure the truth and to keep them on their small isle.
So when Daniel arrives to relocate them, their mythology begins to fracture. The world that their parents built, equal parts fantasy and fear mongering, can’t withstand Daniel’s intrusion. Isla and Sandy respond the only way they know how: by turning Daniel into the villain of their own story. Clad in their elaborate bird costumes, they capture him and throw him in an abandoned pig barn, hoping that “torturing” him will convince him to leave their island. What follows is a strange, darkly funny game of cat and mouse stretched across the Orkney Isles.
As expected, the trio forms an odd bond. But what one doesn’t expect is the quiet reckoning that follows. As their isolation begins to erode, so too do the mythologies that the siblings have clung on to. Each of them, in their own way, is forced to confront the life they have built and the one they have been trying to avoid.
For all of its quirks and dry British humour, The Incomer reveals itself to be something far more tender, It’s a meditation on loneliness and mental health disguised as a twisted fish-out-of-water comedy. Sandy questions Isla’s stories consistently and each time he does, she silences him either with a lie or with physical suppression. Isla, for her part, clings to the folklore with near-religious conviction, even when she invents details for her own purposes on the fly. Deep down, she knows her parents’ stories are covering up something painful. Meanwhile, Daniel suffocates in a job he despises. He signed up for it to help people, but he believes he is actually hurting them.
All three of them are deeply lonely. Within their shared isolation, they discover an unshakable bond, quirks, squawks, and all. The Incomer is far less interested in the practicalities of getting the siblings off the island, but is more concerned about the tender evolution of this unlikely trio as they discover family, friendship, and community. The journey here isn’t about geography, it’s about connection. The film is on a wavelength that is not for everyone, but those who are willing to tune in will find a delightful ride.
