# The Incomer

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***The Incomer*** is a 2026 British comedy film written and directed by Louis Paxton and produced by Shirley O'Connor and Emily Gotto, starring [Domhnall Gleeson](/source/Domhnall_Gleeson), [Gayle Rankin](/source/Gayle_Rankin), Grant O'Rourke, [Emun Elliott](/source/Emun_Elliott), [Michelle Gomez](/source/Michelle_Gomez), and [John Hannah](/source/John_Hannah_(actor)).[1][2] The film had its world premiere in the [Sundance Film Festival](/source/Sundance_Film_Festival)'s NEXT section in 2026, where it won the NEXT Innovator Award.[1][3][4]

## Premise

On a remote Scottish island, siblings Isla ([Gayle Rankin](/source/Gayle_Rankin)) and Sandy (Grant O'Rourke) have lived alone for 30 years since their parents disappeared, surviving by hunting seabirds, speaking to mythical creatures, and defending their home from dreaded "incomers".[5][6] Their world is upended when Daniel ([Domhnall Gleeson](/source/Domhnall_Gleeson)), an awkward land recovery coordinator, arrives to relocate them to the mainland on orders from his intimidating boss Roz ([Michelle Gomez](/source/Michelle_Gomez)).[7] Isla is also haunted by visions of a [Finman](/source/Finfolk) ([John Hannah](/source/John_Hannah_(actor))), a mythical creature who tries to lure her into the sea.[6]

## Cast

- [Domhnall Gleeson](/source/Domhnall_Gleeson) as Daniel
- [Gayle Rankin](/source/Gayle_Rankin) as Isla
- Grant O'Rourke as Sandy
- [Emun Elliott](/source/Emun_Elliott) as Calum
- [Michelle Gomez](/source/Michelle_Gomez) as Rose
- [John Hannah](/source/John_Hannah_(actor))

## Production

Director Louis Paxton said the film was inspired by his family's [Orcadian](/source/Orcadians) heritage. He described the film as "heartfelt, odd and absurdly funny" and cited the films *[Hunt for the Wilderpeople](/source/Hunt_for_the_Wilderpeople)* and [*Step Brothers*](/source/Step_Brothers_(film)) as influences.[8]

The film was produced by Shirley O'Connor and Emily Gotto under the UK banner Pilea Pictures, with Wendy Griffin as co-producer.[2] Backers include the [BFI](/source/British_Film_Institute), [Screen Scotland](/source/Screen_Scotland), Head Gear, and Ireland's Inevitable Pictures.[9] Executive producers include [Trevor Noah](/source/Trevor_Noah) and musician [Moby](/source/Moby) through their respective companies Day Zero Productions and Little Walnut.[2] Principal photography took place in [Caithness](/source/Caithness) and various [Scottish Highlands](/source/Scottish_Highlands) locations in summer 2025.[7][10][11]

## Release

The film had its world premiere in the NEXT section at the [2026 Sundance Film Festival](/source/2026_Sundance_Film_Festival) on January 22, 2026, winning the NEXT Innovator Award.[4] It was also available online for public viewing from 29 January to 1 February 2026 through the festival's at-home program.[1] In February 2026, [Sumerian Pictures](/source/Sumerian_Records) acquired North American distribution rights to the film, planning to release it later that year.[12] In May 2026, [Focus Features](/source/Focus_Features) acquired international rights to the film, with its parent company [Universal Pictures](/source/Universal_Pictures) later scheduling the film for a theatrical release in the United Kingdom and Ireland on September 4, 2026.[13][14]

## Reception

Tom Dawson of *[Screen Daily](/source/Screen_Daily)* called the film "a charming, defiantly regional human drama" with "a trio of strong performances," comparing its tone to *[The Ballad of Wallis Island](/source/The_Ballad_of_Wallis_Island)* meets *[The Wicker Man](/source/The_Wicker_Man_(1973_film))*.[7] Nick Schager of *[The Daily Beast](/source/The_Daily_Beast)* described it as "winningly weird" with "a wittiness that's almost as odd as its heart is big," praising Rankin's performance and comparing the film to *[The Banshees of Inisherin](/source/The_Banshees_of_Inisherin)*.[6] Fred Topel of [UPI](/source/United_Press_International) wrote that it is "exactly the kind of charming comedy that stands out in indie cinema."[15]

## Awards

*The Incomer* won the NEXT Innovator Award at the [2026 Sundance Film Festival](/source/2026_Sundance_Film_Festival).[16]

## References

1. ["The Incomer"](https://watch.eventive.org/sundance-film-festival-2026/play/693db75e14d339872a44289e). *2026 Sundance Film Festival (Eventive)*. Retrieved 28 December 2025.

1. Goodfellow, Melanie & Wiseman, Andreas (2025-12-11). ["Sundance Comedy ‘The Incomer’, Starring Domhnall Gleeson & Gayle Rankin, Boarded By Charades; Trevor Noah & Moby Among Exec Producers"](https://deadline.com/2025/12/domhnall-gleeson-sundance-film-incomer-trevor-noah-charades-1236645707/). *Deadline*. Retrieved 2025-12-29.

1. ["2026 Sundance Film Festival Unveils 97 Projects Selected for the Feature Film and Episodic Program"](https://www.sundance.org/blogs/2026-sundance-film-festival-unveils-97-projects-selected-for-the-feature-film-and-episodic-program/). *Sundance Institute*. 10 December 2025. Retrieved 28 December 2025.

1. ["Sundance 2026 lineup includes 3 BFI-backed world premieres"](https://www.bfi.org.uk/news/sundance-2026-lineup-includes-3-bfi-backed-world-premieres). *BFI*. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 28 December 2025.

1. ["The Incomer"](https://watch.eventive.org/sundance-film-festival-2026/play/693db75e14d339872a44289e). *2026 Sundance Film Festival (Eventive)*. Retrieved 28 December 2025.

1. Schager, Nick (2026-01-23). ["'The Incomer' Review: The Bats**t Comedy Taking Sundance by Storm"](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/the-incomer-review-the-batst-comedy-taking-sundance-by-storm/). *The Daily Beast*. Retrieved 2026-01-24.

1. Dawson, Tom (2026-01-23). ["'The Incomer' review: Domhnall Gleeson seeks common ground in quirky Scottish comedy"](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-incomer-review-domhnall-gleeson-seeks-common-ground-in-quirky-scottish-comedy/5212885.article). *Screen Daily*. Retrieved 2026-01-24.

1. ["Domhnall Gleeson stars in "warped" Scottish island comedy The Incomer"](https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/news/8468/the-incomer-coming-to-cinemas/). *British Comedy Guide*. 4 September 2025. Retrieved 2026-01-24.

1. ["'Wicker', 'The Incomer', 'Frank & Louis' among stellar Sundance 2026 showing for UK-Ireland"](https://www.screendaily.com/news/wicker-the-incomer-frank-and-louis-among-stellar-sundance-showing-for-uk-ireland/5211980.article). *Screen Daily*. 12 December 2025. Retrieved 2026-01-24.

1. ["Sundance 2026 lineup includes 3 BFI-backed world premieres"](https://www.bfi.org.uk/news/sundance-2026-lineup-includes-3-bfi-backed-world-premieres). *BFI*. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 28 December 2025.

1. ["The Incomer: director Louis Paxton on his darkly funny tale of siblings, islands and isolation"](https://www.bfi.org.uk/interviews/incomer-director-louis-paxton). *BFI*. 2026-01-27. Retrieved 2026-01-31.

1. Wiseman, Andreas (February 26, 2026). ["Sumerian Makes Second Sundance Acquisition With Comedy 'The Incomer' Starring Domhnall Gleeson & Gayle Rankin"](https://deadline.com/2026/02/sumerian-incomer-domhnall-gleeson-gayle-rankin-sundance-1236737139/). *[Deadline Hollywood](/source/Deadline_Hollywood)*. Retrieved May 28, 2026.

1. Ritman, Alex (May 8, 2026). ["Louis Paxton's Scottish Comedy 'The Incomer' Set to Open Edinburgh Film Festival, Lands at Focus Features for International"](https://variety.com/2026/film/global/the-incomer-edinburgh-film-festival-opener-focus-features-1236741406/). *[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine))*. Retrieved May 28, 2026.

1. ["All Future Releases"](https://filmdistributorsassociation.com/release-schedule/all-future-releases/). *Film Distributors' Association*. Retrieved May 28, 2026.

1. Topel, Fred (2026-01-23). ["Sundance movie review: 'The Incomer' crafts endearing folk comedy"](https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/Movies/2026/01/23/The-Incomer-Sundance-movie-review/6681769161057/). *UPI*. Retrieved 2026-01-24.

1. D'Alessandro, Anthony (2026-01-30). ["Sundance Film Festival Awards Winners: ‘Josephine’ Takes U.S. Grand Jury Prize & Audience Award"](https://deadline.com/2026/01/sundance-2026-winners-awards-1236703548/). *Deadline*. Retrieved 2026-01-30.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Incomer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Incomer) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Incomer?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.