The extended opening of The Incomer, written and directed by Louis Paxton, is very funny and engaging. That the film never reaches those heights again is something of an indictment. Far away and remote on a lonely, lovely Scottish isle, siblings Isla (Gayle Rankin) and Sandy (Grant O’Rourke) live simple, quiet lives. They hunt and gather by the sea and among the birds. They mourn their parents, most recently their father, and they watch out for trespassers on their land—Incomers, they call them.
Cue the meek government official, Daniel (Domhnall Gleeson), charged with getting the duo off the island and back to the mainland. It is, of course, easier said than done. Isla and Sandy proceed to playfully torture Daniel as he fails in his overtures to convince them to leave. Paxton is building towards a proto-Bill Forsyth mixture of tones here, and the first act gets close. Unfortunately, it all gets a bit repetitive. Local Hero this is not.
Quickly, Daniel’s more nefarious municipal colleagues make their way to the island, assuming he has failed. Scottish actor Emun Elliott plays a suspended worker who takes the job like he’s in the 2003 action picture S.W.A.T., and it is very funny in spots. At a certain point, however, it’s the same joke told once too often. The ultimate big bad bureaucrat is played by Michelle Gomez with pomp and circumstance, though she too is saddled with what seems the same line of dialogue many times in a row. This is a problem throughout The Incomer. Its premise is solid, the locations spectacular, with beautiful cinematography by Pat Golan, and these actors very talented. But the humor become stale and the emotional anchor never feels strong enough.
Gleeson is a winning lead and Rankin, as his foil-turned-love-interest, completes an intriguing pair, but there is something missing in their scenes. While there’s some sparse, striking animation (more of this, please) and a direct connection to Scottish folklore that adds a layer of mythos and whimsy, it feels half-applied. A fairly dark third act plays as a bit much and not quite earned. That said, Paxton does have a well-developed sense of frame and setting, building real tension from focal lengths and smart editing. There’s a particularly effective scene set on the edge of cliff, with danger and ecstasy close at hand. He’s also right to allow his good actors to do good work. The problem is Paxton the screenwriter.
On a craft level, costume designer Sarah Blenkinsop builds incredible bird-man outfits that Isla and Sandy adorn as ritual, while production designers Arthur de Borman and Kezia Eales squeeze their location for everything it is worth. The siblings’ cottage, in particular, is a lived-in, wonderful piece of work. There’s a lot in The Incomer to be admired. Unfortunately, it lasts a bit too long and makes the same joke too many times.
The Incomer premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.