The Incomer

Closer in spirit to the ruggedly romantic Wicker than the sacrificial scares of The Wicker Man, The Incomer is a delightfully dotty film that adds a twist of Yorgos Lanthimos to its Celtic spirit. It’ll make you ‘ca-caw’ like a seagull.

Filmed along Scotland’s far northeast coast, The Incomer understands how such an end-of-the-world locale can either enchant you or drive you mad (sometimes both).

By the end of The Incomer, Paxton makes explicit that this is a story about making decisions from an outlook that favors hope over fear. And, at least for the duration of the film, he creates an imaginary universe where such a choice feels both logical and lovable.

Unafraid to lean into Isla's naivete, Rankin's performance playing off both O'Rourke and Gleeson is what places her at the center of this tale and makes it worth watching.

This intriguing feature debut from Bafta-nominated Scottish short filmmaker Louis Paxton makes effective use of its striking location and a trio of strong performances from Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin and Grant O’Rourke.

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.

This specific concoction of absurdism, sentimentality, childish humor and dark punchlines may have stayed off-key for me, but seemed to strike a chord with others, at least judging from the many guffaws at the screening I attended.