It’s always a fun time when a film comes along that is totally aligned with your wavelength, and I absolutely adored every strange, hilarious, and tender moment of writer and director Louis Paxton’s debut feature, “The Incomer.” This is an offbeat film that almost stubbornly announces its own logic, rhythm, and unique heartbeat, gleefully embracing its weirdness and inviting the audience to come along for the ride.
Set on a remote Scottish isle, the film follows adult siblings Isla (Gayle Rankin) and Sandy (Grant O’Rourke), two feral, deadpan survivalists who live completely cut off from the world. They survive on gulls for food, ancient folklore for entertainment, and live by their late father’s strict rules (protect the island, trust no incomer, and survive at all costs). They hunt seabirds, chat casually with mythical creatures, and treat outsiders as an invasive species that must be eradicated. It’s already funny before the plot even kicks in, but then Daniel (Domhnall Gleeson), a well-meaning and deeply awkward council worker, arrives.
Sent by the government to relocate the siblings, Daniel brings chaos and confusion to the island. With his mountains of paperwork, strict vegan diet, internet wizardry, and all sorts of baffling mainland ideas (like the concept of avocados and fresh fruit), this exposure to the outside world totally wrecks Isla and Sandy’s routine. Confused and scared, their first instinct is to try to throw the incomer off the island. From there, the film turns into a slow burn comedy about three deeply lonely people trying to figure each other out, one uncomfortable interaction at a time.
Paxton’s film is bursting with confidence and originality, blending Scottish island folklore with dry, deadpan humor. There’s a playful tone that’s irresistible, and he uses everything from hand drawn animation to fantastical ocean dwelling creatures that feel completely at home in this one-of-a-kind world.
The cast is terrific, and all three of the leads play off each other so well. Rankin and O’Rourke are phenomenal as Isla and Sandy, capturing both the ferocity and vulnerability of their characters. They’re funny and feral, but also deeply human, shaped by isolation, loss, and loyalty to a way of life that’s slipping through their fingers. Gleeson is also great at playing a guy who means well but has absolutely no idea how to exist in this world, a lonely fish out of water who slowly realizes that feeling wild and free may just be what his life has been missing.
What really brings the film home is its unexpected generosity and warm sincerity. Beneath all the weirdness and comedy is a surprisingly poignant meditation on belonging and connection. Change is scary, but it also doesn’t have to mean total erasure of your way of life or personality.
Quirky, charming, and full of heart, “The Incomers” is a truly original film about the fear of outsiders, the ache for connection, and the bravery it takes to imagine a life beyond an island without abandoning where you came from.
By: Louisa Moore
