Sundance Review : The Incomer

One of the best things about attending Sundance is that you often go into a film blind and have no idea what to expect. When I read the description for "The Incomer" and saw the artwork, I thought it was going to be a family fantasy film. However that's not the case.

"The Incomer" presents itself as a quirky, offbeat comedy, but beneath the humor lies a film quietly steeped in dread, grief, and resentment towards the concept of “progress.” Writer-director Louis Paxton sets the story on a remote Scottish island, isolated from modernity to the extent that it may as well exist outside of time. For siblings Isla and Sandy, this isolation isn't a form of deprivation; it’s a means of survival.

Having lived alone for three decades since their parents disappeared, they sustain themselves through seabird hunting, ritualistic routines, and an inherited suspicion of anyone they label an “incomer.” Gayle Rankin delivers a captivating performance as Isla, a woman whose volatility masks profound emotional distress. She is simultaneously funny, wild, and frightening, clinging to folklore and myth not as whimsy but as a form of protection. Grant O'Rourke provides a grounded counterpart as Sandy, who is quieter and more adaptable yet equally ensnared by loyalty and shared trauma.

This fragile equilibrium shatters with the arrival of Daniel. Domhnall Gleeson portrays the land recovery coordinator with a palpable discomfort, a man whose soft-spoken demeanor barely conceals his authoritative nature. While Daniel isn’t malicious, he is effective—and that makes him dangerous. His orders come from Roz, played with icy precision by Michelle Gomez, a bureaucratic specter of modernity who commands respect without raising her voice.

Paxton intelligently steers clear of simplistic moral dichotomies. The islanders are not romanticized as noble savages, nor is Daniel depicted as a one-dimensional villain. Instead, The Incomer examines how systems can erase individuals while believing they are acting righteously. One of the film’s most unsettling elements is Isla’s recurring visions of the Finman, portrayed by John Hannah.

These encounters blur the lines between fantasy and horror, challenging viewers to discern whether the creature is a myth, a memory, or a manifestation of Isla’s desire to dissolve into the sea rather than submit. At times, the film indulges a bit too much in its eccentricities, but its emotional core remains strong. "The Incomer" is less about humor and more about displacement—exploring what occurs when a life deemed “unviable” is slated for removal.

Nevertheless it’s a darkly funny, quietly mournful film that highlights how progress often comes with a clipboard in one hand and a blind spot in the other.

Final Grade: B