CINCINNATI (WXIX) – Every year, I have the pleasure of covering the Sundance <a href="https://cinemamix360.com/2026/09/02/vin-diesel-cries-at-cannes-film-festival-2026-during-tribute-to-paul-walker-and-meadow-walker-jordan-news/" title="Vin Diesel Cries at Cannes Film Festival 2026 During Tribute to Paul Walker and Meadow Walker – Jordan News “>Film Festival in January, and I’m always blown away by the breadth and scope of the programming at the festival. Every single category is always filled to the brim with some of the most exciting voices in the independent film space, who offer up their works for eager audiences to engage with and discover. Oftentimes, there have been several films I screen at Sundance that manage to catapult them up to the status as some of my favorites from the entire calendar year, showcasing an aspect of the cinematic experience that is unlike anything I have seen before. And this is why, this past January, I sat down to screen a movie that I knew little to nothing about, which was Louis Paxton’s delightfully strange new comedy “The Incomer”. Now, on the surface, “The Incomer” didn’t appear to be anything drastically different amid the lineup of films at Sundance. Framed as a Scottish comedy starring Domhnall Gleeson, who I happen to be a major fan of, I approached the film with an eager mindset to see what awaited, yet hesitant due to my lack of familiarity with the film or what I was about to experience. Alas, however, the experience of going in blind to this movie was one of the best decisions I could have possibly made at the moment, and this is because “The Incomer” is a vastly surprising movie in more ways than one. With irreverent humor, bizarre and fantastical elements, and a surprisingly poignant and affecting emotional core, “The Incomer” is far and away a movie I have not stopped thinking about all year, and as you’ll quickly discern, it’s unlike anything else I could possibly compare it to in scope alone.
“The Incomer” opens on a remote Scottish island where we are introduced to siblings Isla (played by Gayle Rankin) and Sandy (played by Grant O’Rourke), who live a peaceful yet fearful existence on the secluded location. You see, these siblings have lived alone on the island for thirty years since the disappearance of their parents, surviving solely by hunting animals, conversing with mythical sea creatures, and preparing to defend their home from dreaded “incomers” from the outside world. Indeed, it seems that the existence of Isla and Sandy is peaceful…that is, until Daniel (played by Domhnall Gleeson), a recovery coordinator, arrives to relocate them to the mainland for the wishes of the company he is employed by. Desperate to save their home, Isla and Sandy will strike up a careful yet hesitant friendship with Daniel as he reconciles his personal struggle to fulfill his job against what he knows deep down is right.
As you might be able to guess from the tone of this review, “The Incomer” is, simply put, one of the funniest movies of the year. Yet, at first glance, the comedy style itself seems to be something starkly different amid the rest of the competition in the space. As we are introduced to the siblings Isla and Sandy at the beginning of the film, we are treated to bizarre yet endearing sequences where the pair fight the imaginary “incomers” in the form of tied up sandbags, hunting animals as they see fit across the island, and even conversing with the mythical seal creatures that live in the lagoons of the island called Selkies (which are, in essence in this film, physical men dressed up as seals who speak in Scottish accents). No matter where you look in the first act of “The Incomer”, you are treated to a strange and bizarre setting where ruthlessness and survival appear to be at the forefront of these characters and the close intersection of their lives. Yet, with the arrival of Daniel, something shifts. As audiences quickly discern, the perceptible shift in tone throughout the runtime of “The Incomer” is something that works greatly in favor of the film itself, and allows the bizarre confines of its story to culminate in a finished product that is far more creative and innovative than many movies are nowadays.
Domhnall Gleeson is pitch perfect in the role of Daniel, the lowly and awkward relocator who struggles to discern his surroundings at first. Thrust into the job no one wants to take up by his menacing boss Roz (played by a delightfully intimidating Michelle Gomez), Daniel seeks to do his job to the best of his ability. This is why, upon arrival on the island, as he glances up at the bird costumed siblings who seek to scare him away, he launches into the rehearsed routine and speech he is conformed to follow. However, as he begins to understand the dynamic between Isla and Sandy, and the ways of life that have led their mentalities thus far, a perceptible shift occurs within Daniel’s viewpoint and focus, thus mirroring the main thematic intent of “The Incomer” as a film. The movie is, in essence, a story about the breaking down of perceptual barriers (both on the side of the siblings and the outside world) and the damage these barriers can place on our ability to connect as human beings. Such a message is contrasted with a delightfully whimsical fantasy setting that accentuates these elements in a way that makes them feel infinitely more grounded and well realized at the same time. Gayle Rankin and Grant O’Rourke both do an excellent job at portraying the siblings in a way that highlights their fears and anxieties in relation to the outside world, and the healing that can occur as they open their hearts and minds to what lies in front of them.
This last point is, in essence, at the heart of why “The Incomer” works so well as a film. The comedic and surreal elements are surely present within the film, yet I walked away from the movie so impacted because of how heartfelt and poignant it all feels. The last fifteen minutes deliver a gut punch of an ending, exploring the genuine pangs of individual and humanistic connection in a way that encapsulates so much of what the movie as a whole is trying to say. It is, without a doubt, one of the most impactful endings I’ve seen in a bizarre and surreal film since the days of the Daniels’ “Swiss Army Man” (which is yet another strange Sundance hit that enraptured audiences across the globe). “The Incomer”, much like its characters, is often comical and off-putting, but it’s through these qualities that the true strengths of the material shine through. And this creative spirit is unabashedly why the movie works so well.
This is not to say that “The Incomer” will be for all audiences. While the film’s witty humor and biting dialogue are going to connect with many, others will surely be put off by the film’s tone and atmosphere, never looking beyond the surface to see what the movie has to say. And on this level, it has to be mentioned that “The Incomer” is a movie that is decidedly indie in tone and approach. Yet, I implore you to give it a chance. This is an entirely individual film, and I can safely say I’ve never seen anything of this caliber before, and I likely never will again. It’s the exact type of film that reignites my passion for cinema, showcasing such a distinct artistic vision that is rare to find in this day and age. With a beating emotional core and an eccentric approach, “The Incomer” solidifies its place as one of the most unique motion pictures of the entire calendar year. And if audiences approach the film with an open mind, they might discover a gem that will stick with them long after viewing it.
“The Incomer” releases in theaters Sept. 25 courtesy of Sumerian Pictures.
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