The Incomer Review: A Scottish Island Comedy With Real Heart

Some islands don’t want to be found. In The Incomer, siblings Isla and Sandy have spent their whole adult lives making sure of it — hunting seagulls for food, running military-style drills, and treating anyone from “the mainland” as an enemy invader. Then one very nervous council official shows up with an eviction notice, and their whole carefully guarded world starts to crack open.

This is writer-director Louis Paxton’s first feature, and it’s a genuinely charming one. It picked up the NEXT Innovator Award at Sundance in January 2026, and it’s easy to see why.

What’s It About

Isla (Gayle Rankin) and Sandy (Grant O’Rourke) have lived alone on a remote Scottish island for decades, ever since losing their parents. Their father’s dying wish was simple: defend this land from outsiders, no matter what. So that’s what they do — surviving on seagull meat, drilling for invasions that never come, and occasionally fending off a Finn-man, a half-human, half-seal creature from local folklore who keeps trying to lure them into the sea.

Then Daniel (Domhnall Gleeson) arrives. He’s an awkward, nonconfrontational council worker sent to relocate the siblings back to the mainland. Isla and Sandy do not take this well. Daniel’s first few days on the island are less “official visit” and more “survival horror,” as two people who’ve spent years preparing for exactly this moment treat him like the invasion they’ve been waiting for.

The Review

What makes The Incomer work is how much genuine feeling it sneaks in underneath all the comedy. On the surface, this is a movie about two feral siblings terrorizing a hapless bureaucrat, and on that level alone, it delivers plenty of laughs. But the film is really about something quieter: what happens to people who’ve spent so long protecting themselves from loss that they’ve forgotten how to let anyone in.

That emotional undercurrent comes through most clearly once Daniel and Isla start actually talking to each other, rather than one of them fleeing for his life. Daniel tells stories about the world Isla and Sandy have missed out on — avocados, the internet, The Lord of the Rings — and there’s something touching about watching two people who’ve both known real isolation slowly start to trust one another. Their connection never feels rushed or forced, which is impressive given how strange the setup is.

Domhnall Gleeson is exactly as good as you’d expect here, leaning fully into Daniel’s nervous energy without ever making him a pure punchline. Gayle Rankin is the real find, though. She plays Isla with a wild, feral intensity that somehow still leaves room for real vulnerability underneath. Grant O’Rourke, as Sandy, brings a childlike, almost innocent energy to the role that makes him one of the funniest parts of the whole film.

Where the Film Wobbles

The Incomer isn’t flawless. Once council leader Roz (Michelle Gomez) arrives on the island in the back half, the plot starts moving in a fairly predictable direction, and the film’s momentum takes a noticeable dip. It’s still enjoyable in that stretch, but the ending lands a little softer than it could have, mostly because you can see it coming from a mile off.

The film also leans hard into a certain kind of whimsical quirkiness — mythical seal-men, deadpan folklore, sudden bursts of animation — and that style won’t land for every viewer. Some critics have found it a bit too twee for its own good at times. It’s a fair critique, even if the film’s good nature mostly wins you over anyway.

Who This Is For

If you like offbeat comedies with real emotional weight underneath the jokes — think somewhere between Local Hero and a Wes Anderson fable — this is well worth seeking out. It’s also a great pick if you’re a fan of any of the three central actors, since all of them get real room to shine.

It’s probably not for viewers looking for a straightforward comedy with no detours into folklore or grief. This one asks you to go along with its stranger instincts, and the reward is worth it if you do.

The Verdict

The Incomer is a funny, big-hearted debut that finds real emotional depth in a genuinely odd premise. It stumbles a little in its final stretch, but the chemistry between its three leads, and the film’s sincere interest in loneliness and belonging, carry it all the way to a satisfying, smile-inducing finish.

Rating: 4/5

Watch the Trailer

Quick Facts

• Title: The Incomer
• Director/Writer: Louis Paxton
• Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
• Runtime: 102 minutes
• Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin, Grant O’Rourke, Emun Elliott, Michelle Gomez, John Hannah
• World premiere: Sundance Film Festival, January 2026 — winner, NEXT Innovator Award
• Distributor: Sumerian Pictures (US), Focus Features (International)
• US release: September 25, 2026 (limited theatrical)
• UK release: September 4, 2026

Where to Watch

The Incomer is playing in select US theaters starting September 25, 2026, via Sumerian Pictures.

Final Thoughts

The Incomer takes a strange premise — two feral siblings and one terrified council worker on a remote Scottish island — and turns it into something surprisingly tender. It’s weird, it’s funny, and underneath all of it, it’s really about learning to let people in. Worth the trip.

Have you seen “The Incomer”? Share your thoughts in the comments below.