The Incomer Review: Domhnall Gleeson Shines in Uneven, Overly Quirky Sundance Comedy

The Incomer, the debut feature from Scottish writer-director Louis Paxton, premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. The film follows two eccentric adult siblings, Isla (Gayle Rankin) and Sandy (Grant O’Rourke), who live in isolation on a remote Scottish island, believing themselves descended from gulls and behaving in bird-like ways with flapping, squawking, and myths involving selkies and sacrifices. Their bizarre, childlike existence is disrupted by Daniel (Domhnall Gleeson), a mild-mannered local councilor tasked with evicting them for his scheming boss (Michelle Gomez). Using modern technology like a smartphone, Daniel gradually earns their trust, leading to humorous clashes between their feral lifestyle and his bureaucratic world. Gleeson delivers a charming performance as the relatable outsider, while O’Rourke brings endearing absurdity to Sandy, and Rankin offers touching moments beneath Isla’s defenses. The cinematography captures the island’s beauty, but the film leans heavily into aggressive quirkiness, juvenile humor, and repetitive jokes about the siblings’ ignorance of modern life, which the reviewer finds alienating, twee, and often unfunny. Brief sincere moments on trauma and connection provide relief, yet the story veers into violence and clichéd empowerment tropes. While some audiences laughed heartily, the review deems it off-key overall, mixing absurdism, sentimentality, and dark elements without fully landing. The film is seeking distribution after its festival run.