The Incomer Review

The Incomer is a comedy film inspired by Orcadian culture and winner of the NEXT Section at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.

Isla (Gayle Rankin) and Sandy (Grant O’Rourke) are siblings who have lived together on a remote island off the North East of Scotland for 30 years. They spend their days hunting for food, telling stories, and preparing to fight off any ‘incomers’ to the island. They finally have to put their training into effect when Daniel (Domhnall Gleeson) arrives, who has been sent by the council to evict them.

The Incomer joins a growing contingent of Scottish films in recent years. Saoirse Ronan showcased her talents in the Orkney Islands-set The Outrun, I Swear won two BAFTAs, and California Schemin’ premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. The Incomer had a lot of buzz because of its Sundance win and has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Incomer was an offbeat film because Isla and Sandy had an unusual upbringing and worldview. They lived alone since they were children, and their understanding of the world came from what their father told them and a book of Scottish folklore. They created their own mythology and customs, which made The Incomer feel a bit like the novel Riddley Walker. Or if you prefer some film references, like the Lost Children in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome or the Jimmys in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

When it comes to films set on a remote Scottish island, one of the first to come to mind is The Wicker Man. The Wicker Man was a horror film where the residents of Summerisle have reverted to pagan beliefs and customs, and used it to perform a ritualistic sacrifice. The Incomer had a lighter touch, with Isla and Sandy dressing up like deranged Brighton supporters and making Daniel conduct the ‘Way of the Gull’ trial, a long-standing tradition and not something they just made up. Isla and Sandy distrusted the outside world so much that they behaved like the inhabitants of North Sentinel Island when they encountered an incomer.

There was a rich amount of Scottish folklore in the film. As mentioned, Isla built their beliefs on a book of Scottish folklore, and she told stories to her brother and later Daniel. There were animated sequences about the island’s history that felt like crude versions of Cartoon Saloon’s work. Isla was tempted by the Finman (John Hannah), a half-man, half-seal creature that wanted humans to enter the sea. Even the music in the film was a reflection of the film’s folk nature because it was a simple percussion-heavy score.

Due to their isolation and losing their parents at a young age, they were permanently childlike. Sandy especially, who spoke in a childlike manner and reacted like a child but had the strength of a grown man. Isla and Sandy fought like young children. Isla was the dominant of the pair; she could still physically subdue Sandy, and Sandy’s acts of rebellion were unorthodox. Even though Isla was sustaining the siblings’ isolation, she acted differently in private.

Whilst Isla and Sandy were weird by our standards, everyone was weird in their own way. Daniel was an outsider because he was a nerd who was into fantasy and wizards. Daniel was alone, even when he was surrounded by people. The council worker ended up finding more kinship with the isolated siblings and grew closer to them. Daniel repurposed fantasy stories to entertain, similar to Brother Arnold in The Book of Mormon. Cal (Emun Elliott) was meant to be the tough bailiff who normally evicts people through any means necessary, but he was really a nutter who saw himself as a Bear Grylls type.

The Incomer’s off-beat nature extended to its humour. There was a lot of physical and visual humour throughout, and combined with its tone, The Incomer felt like a Wes Anderson film. The humour could appeal to a wider audience, whether it was due to Sandy’s new toy or a final act that played like Home Alone.

The Incomer was a quirky little film that made a great showcase for Scottish cinema and folklore whilst also gaining a lot of mileage from its anthropology themes.