On a remote Scottish isle, siblings Isla and Sandy hunt birds and talk to mythical beings while fighting off outsiders. Their lives change when Daniel, an awkward official, arrives to relocate them.

‘The Incomer’ is an offbeat Scottish comedy about two siblings who have lived alone on a remote island off the Scottish coast for 30 years since their parents died. They survive by capturing and killing seagulls, while spending their time telling stories and preparing to fight off any dreaded ‘incomers’. Meanwhile, a mild-mannered civil servant who works for the local council is instructed to evict the siblings and relocate them to the mainland, regardless of their wishes. This sets in motion a quirky comedy about human connection, and if you liked films such as ‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’ then this will probably be right up your street (director Louis Paxton has cited ‘Step Brothers’ and ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ as influences).

Domhnall Gleeson leads the cast as civil servant Daniel, with Gayle Rankin and Grant O’Rourke playing the siblings, Isla and Sandy, and the film is essentially about what happens when they are confronted by a real-life ‘incomer’ who turns out not to be the evil demon they’ve been taught about. There’s a fish-out-of-water quality to a lot of the comedy, both in how Daniel adjusts to his new surroundings and in how Isla and Sandy react to the discovery of many things they knew nothing about. I laughed a lot throughout the film and enjoyed the weirdness of it all (yes, including John Hannah as the ‘finman’), though I could imagine some people finding the whimsical tone a little too much.

Against the backdrop of these three individuals getting to know each other and their very different ways of life, there’s a sharper political bent around forced evictions, represented by Michelle Gomez’s ruthless and ambitious council boss, and Emun Elliott as an intimidating and suspended colleague of Daniel’s. That adds some extra bite to proceedings, but it’s really there to provide the backdrop for a much warmer story about three fairly lonely people gradually forming an unlikely bond. Gleeson, Rankin and O’Rourke are all very good at balancing the stranger elements of the comedy with the more sincere moments, which helps make their dynamic work.

‘The Incomer’ is the type of small independent comedy that British filmmakers do so well, and I liked it a lot!

Rating: 4/5

Directed By: Louis Paxton

Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin, Grant O’Rourke, Emun Elliott, Michelle Gomez and John Hannah

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt36980182/