The Incomer Movie Review

Introduction

Louis Paxton‘s The Incomer is a very unique movie and does not mind being weird. It is a Scottish comedy, modern fable, and a story about isolation.

It also has elements of mythology, animation, slapstick comedy, and some surprisingly emotional parts.

The writer and director of this film is Louis Paxton in his first feature film. The movie had its premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.

The Incomer is definitely not your usual British comedy. The film establishes a very unique little universe of its own.

The story takes place on the fictitious Auk Isle, which is somewhere near the Scottish coastline.

Isla (Gayle Rankin) and Sandy (Grant O’Rourke) have grown up in this place for most of their lives. Their parents had long gone out of their lives.

They are left with a mixture of odd rules and beliefs. These rules instruct them that they should not trust strangers.

As a result, they make efforts to defend their island. It consists of hunting and gathering, living in accordance with their tradition.

They believe in myths and fairy tales as well.

Their secluded life is disturbed by Daniel (Domhnall Gleeson). Daniel is an official from the council who possesses a totally different perspective towards life.

Daniel is a council official who arrives with a very different understanding of life. He has been sent to remove the siblings from the island.

His arrival brings modern society directly into their strange little world. Suddenly, paperwork, technology and mainland life collide with folklore and superstition.

The resulting culture clash provides most of the film’s comedy. However, there is considerably more going on beneath the absurdity.

A Strange and Wonderful Premise

The premise of The Incomer immediately gives the film plenty of possibilities. The fact of two isolated siblings encountering modern society is inherently funny.

It also offers possibilities of something deeper. Isla and Sandy have based their whole identity on isolation.

They have never encountered anything that might be called normal modern life. Their view of the outside world has been formed by their parents.

Much of what they know has been passed down to them. This means that the arrival of Daniel is a challenge.

He threatens not just their home. But he challenges their views of reality. Daniel symbolizes modern bureaucracy and mainland society.

The siblings are symbolic of tradition, isolation, and deep connection with one’s environment. Neither side fully understands the other.

That misunderstanding creates many of the film’s funniest moments. It also gives the story a surprisingly relevant theme.

What the film examines is the clash between people who lead lives differently. But rather than turn the story into an overt political statement, Paxton manages to avoid it.

He accomplishes that by placing his ideas into the context of comedy. In this way, the film becomes much more accessible.

The comedy allows the audience to think about its themes without becoming overwhelmed.

The Comedy

Humour in The Incomer is quite unique compared to typical humour in British films. It is consciously uncomfortable, dry and sometimes even ridiculous.

Humour arises from the misinterpretation of one another by characters. Daniel approaches with ordinary expectations.

Such expectations become obsolete very soon. Siblings perceive Daniel’s actions according to their unusual perspective.

What is absolutely normal for Daniel may seem bizarre for them. And vice versa.

There is always an endless source of comedy out of misunderstanding. Another significant element of the movie is the physical comedy.

The actors take themselves entirely into the nonsense they’re supposed to perform. This commitment keeps the movie from being totally artificial.

There are moments in which the movie turns to the deliberate silliness. Some jokes might be more effective than other ones.

The movie definitely has an affection for eccentricity. It might be too much sometimes.

But what I liked about this movie is that Paxton never stops being in the tone of his film. The film does not start behaving in the normal way all of a sudden.

Even the most absurd scenes fit this universe perfectly. It is very important in such a unique movie.

The movie could lose itself in its own eccentricity. But The Incomer somehow succeeds to keep the balance.

Gayle Rankin’s Isla

Gayle Rankin delivers one of the best performances in the film. Isla is a very unique character. She has grown up cut off from society.

It makes her appear wild sometimes. She is aggressive, defensive, and protective of her territory.

But then she does show some vulnerability too along with aggression. Gayle Rankin understands the combination.

She doesn’t just portray Isla as an eccentric woman who lives on the island.

The character has real feelings behind her. Isla has been molded by her surroundings. She has also been molded by the stories that her parents left behind.

It is no surprise, then, that she hates strangers. That is why Isla is more than just a comic relief character.

The physical humor is also portrayed very well by Rankin. She has no problem making Isla look ridiculous when it comes to it.

However, she never allows the character to become completely cartoonish. That is important because the emotional moments depend on us caring about her.

The film gradually reveals how much Isla fears losing the only life she understands. That gives her strange behaviour a greater emotional context.

For me, Rankin is one of the main reasons the film works. She gives the film its wildest energy while maintaining its emotional centre.

Grant O’Rourke’s Sandy

Grant O’Rourke provides a very different energy as Sandy. Where Isla is confrontational, Sandy is considerably softer.

He seems more curious about the outside world. He is also less immediately hostile towards Daniel.

That creates an interesting contrast between the siblings. They have spent their entire lives together. Yet they do not necessarily want exactly the same things.

Sandy seems a lot more open to change. But he is very loyal to Isla. O’Rourke has made this relationship work.

It really feels like they have become dependent on each other.

Their relationship can be hilarious sometimes and then unexpectedly moving. This movie does not take the isolation between these two as romantic.

There are consequences for them having been raised the way they were. It really has stunted their social development.

So there is an underlying creepiness to their behavior. They act like kids even though they are adults.

The comedy has a darker side to it. And O’Rourke captures that well. He manages to make Sandy laughable without being a dumb character.

That distinction helps the character remain sympathetic.

Domhnall Gleeson as the Outsider

Domhnall Gleeson is perfectly suited to playing Daniel. He brings an awkward, understated quality to the character.

Daniel is not an action hero. He is not particularly confident. He is simply a bureaucrat who has been given an extremely unusual assignment.

That makes him an excellent contrast to Isla and Sandy. They are unpredictable. Daniel is almost painfully ordinary.

His reactions to the island are thus part of the comedic element. He tries to view everything in a rational manner.

Unfortunately, rationality helps him little. Gleeson realizes that Daniel should not vie with the other siblings.

Rather, he plays the straight man role in the movie. Through his relatively normal behavior, he makes everyone else appear even more crazy.

This is a tough task to achieve. Too much seriousness can render him boring.

Too much of the comedic element can make him just another crazy character. Gleeson finds a good middle ground.

He gives Daniel enough awkwardness to be funny. He also gives him enough warmth to make his relationship with the siblings believable.

As the story develops, Daniel becomes more than an outsider. He begins to understand why the island matters to them.

That emotional development gives the film some of its strongest moments.

The World of Auk Isle

The setting is perhaps one of the most significant aspects of this movie.

The Scottish terrain provides The Incomer with a sense of isolation that is hard to replicate anywhere else.

There is something beautiful, dangerous and mysterious about the island. The cinematography, done by Patrick Golan, makes full use of the surrounding environment.

The settings of the film are quite rugged. One has the constant feeling that civilization is really far off.

This isolation is crucial for the narrative of the film. It accounts for why the siblings have such peculiar views.

It also makes Daniel’s arrival an intrusion of sorts. The island becomes an extra character in the film.

The island has its own history and mythology. The style of the film accentuates this aspect. The natural scenery complements the peculiarities of the behavior of the characters very well.

There is something enchanting about seeing so many odd characters living in such scenic landscapes.

The film also uses animation to add even more folklore into the film. These scenes help to provide background for the island.

The movie has a fairy-tale-like quality due to them. This is what makes the director’s vision unique.

Paxton does not simply create a funny movie about odd people. He creates a modern version of a Scottish folk tale.

Folklore and Mythology

Mythology adds yet another level of depth to The Incomer. The film’s mythology could very well have distracted from the main plot of the movie.

However, for the most part, they are able to blend with the mood of the film. The film acknowledges that folklore does not have to be entirely realistic.

It must seem realistic in the world it creates. Paxton accomplishes this feat. The mythical creatures become part of the knowledge of the children about their homeland.

They are more than just monsters placed in the story. There is a deeper meaning that they symbolize concerning the past of the island.

John Hannah‘s character brings in yet another weird element. His character seems to be derived out of a Scottish mythological legend.

This is a perfect inclusion to the weird movie.

The legends serve the purpose of making the movie examine how belief systems are passed down through generations.

Isla and Sandy have believed these stories. While Daniel looks at them in a different way. That difference is central to the film.

What the Film Is Really About

Underneath all of the absurd humor, The Incomer is really a story about change.

What happens when a person or group of people has to deal with the outside world?

Both Isla and Sandy have created an identity that revolves around not leaving where they are.

The island symbolizes security for them. The island also symbolizes all they know. Daniel symbolizes change. Not necessarily better change.

However, the movie does not idealize life on the mainland. Society has some peculiarities of its own.

Bureaucracy may seem ridiculous sometimes. Technological advances might be too much to deal with.

There is a disconnection between people and nature. The siblings are secluded but are very close to nature.

It raises a lot of questions. Is modernization always beneficial? No simple answer is given in the movie.

Instead, it suggests that change can be frightening and necessary. The strongest idea is that people do not necessarily have to abandon their past.

They can adapt without completely losing themselves. That gives the story more emotional weight than its eccentric premise suggests.

Where It Does Not Quite Work

Even though I enjoyed The Incomer, sometimes I believe that the film takes its eccentricity too far.

There are times when it is too eccentric and becomes a little tiring. The film is always reminding us that it is an eccentric film.

Sometimes I wished that it could just be more relaxed and allow the plot to unfold. The humor is not always consistent in the movie.

Sometimes the jokes are really funny. Other times, it feels like the joke was just there because it matched the eccentric nature of the film.

The film is also sometimes problematic when it comes to handling its multiple tones.

The film wants to be funny. The film wants to be emotional. The film wants to discuss folklore.

In addition, the film also wants to comment on contemporary society. For the most part, the various elements go hand in hand.

At times, however, they conflict. Another point on which there could be disagreement concerns the end of the film.

The emotional conclusion is understandable. Nevertheless, it is sometimes too neat after the bizarre ride that precedes it.

The film sets up several intriguing twists. Some of these twists are sorted out rather quickly. It would have been better if the end had been a little messy.

This would have better suited the eccentric nature of the film. The problems do not ruin the film. They prevent the film from being consistently good.

What Worked and What Did Not

I really enjoyed the film’s character.

The Incomer has a certain feel about it that seems like someone came up with some bizarre idea and got away with making it.

This is becoming increasingly rare. The film has an identity of sorts from the very start. In addition, it makes good use of the film’s Scottish setting.

Performances in the film are also quite good. Rankin, O’Rourke and Gleeson have great comedic chemistry between them.

They understand just how unlike each other their characters are. Moreover, they know just when they need to stop being funny and be more serious.

The animation and folklore give the film another aspect. The cinematography lends a unique look to the island.

The film is also able to talk about isolation without being depressing. This is not always an easy thing to do.

But the film’s quirkiness will not appeal to all viewers. Some jokes will come across as childish.

And some of the characters will seem bizarre. Sometimes the film is too proud of its quirks.

Some characters are intentionally bizarre. The story occasionally feels too pleased with its own weirdness.

There are moments when the film seems to shout, “Look how strange we are.” That can become tiring.

The themes are also somewhat clearer than their development. The film has plenty to say about isolation and change.

It does not always explore those ideas as deeply as it could. Still, I would rather watch a film with too much personality than one without any.

Final Verdict

The Incomer is a weird, charming and unmistakably Scottish film. It is not a perfect one. Its constant weirdness can sometimes be overwhelming.

Not all jokes have the same effect on audiences. The plot itself becomes overly neat in its end.

But there is something really refreshing about the way Paxton tells his story. This film feels like nothing else British mainstream comedies usually do.

Acting is great. Landscapes are beautiful. Folklore gives the film its own character.

And what is the most important – it has its heart amidst all this weirdness. Isolation is a good way to preserve one’s soul.

It is a way to stop people from growing up. Change is not always bad – it can scare. This is what makes The Incomer not a simple collection of quirky jokes.

There is something real behind its strange appearance. For a debut feature, it shows a lot of confidence.

It may not appeal to everyone.

Those who dislike deliberately odd humour may find it frustrating.

However, I found its strange combination of comedy, folklore and emotion surprisingly engaging.

The Incomer is weird, occasionally messy and sometimes wonderfully ridiculous.

But beneath all that eccentricity is a warm story about finding connection.

For me, that makes it an impressive and very promising feature debut.