The Incomer: Charming, tongue-in-cheek tale of Scottish island clearances opens Edinburgh Film Fest 2026

4 Stars

Writer-director Louis Paxton’s debut feature The Incomer is a darkly comic look at island life in the North East of Scotland, where the threat of outsiders looms very large for siblings Isla (Gayle Rankin) and Sandy (Grant O’Rourke). Edinburgh International Film Festival’s opening film has always been a highlight of the festival’s programming, and 2026’s offering has upheld this tradition. Standing strong alongside previous offerings such as Eva Victor’s Sorry, Baby, Charlotte Wells Aftersun, and Nora Fingscheidt’s The Outrun.

Drilled from birth by their enigmatic father (John Hannah) to ‘allow no incomer’ to Auk Isle, the pair come to blows with the arrival of Domhnall Gleeson’s meek-mannered Daniel, a mainlander who comes to serve an eviction notice under the authority of the Northeastern Scottish Council. Daniel’s manager Roz (Michelle Gomez) is a corporate type with some shady career aspirations. Roz sends Daniel as a replacement for council muscleman Calum (Emun Elliott), who was recently suspended for some heavy-handed eviction tactics on his last island excursion.

Rankin takes centre stage as Isla, balancing a shrewd sensibility with a vulnerable underbelly, and gleams as the orphaned elder sister shielded on Auk Isle for over 30 years. Mixing a softer side with a cutting violent streak, she dominates the screen as a woman determined to defend her home at all costs. O’Rourke’s Sandy provides the foil to her anger and brings a loveable centre to the story, combining a warmth with the boundless energy that he brings to the role. 

Gleeson’s Daniel similarly shines as a wallflower adrift in the world, unexpectedly cast in the role of terrified mediator in the war of attrition between the islanders and the mainland. His nerdy council worker offers just the right amount of generosity, open-mindedness, and tact needed to ground the role, with Gleeson once again proving that he has something of a penchant for comedic roles with a strong heart.

Of the mainlanders, Gomez exudes a gleefully withering contempt as middle manager Roz, with a firm hand on the tiller of the Northeastern Council offices and her iron fist raised over Daniel’s career prospects. Elliott’s bizarre muscleman Calum likewise provides constant comic relief, with some standout action sequences providing some of the film’s most memorable scenes.

Paxton’s direction in general has a deftly comic touch; even within the film’s darker moments he has the innate ability to find levity throughout. He brings a tongue-in-cheek tale of island clearances, a clear homage to Scotland’s history, and presents a beautifully-crafted love letter to Scottish folklore with intersections of Gaelic, storytelling, and island culture. Paxton actually used to work at the Filmhouse as a teenager, ushering and working at the EIFF itself. In any case, as far as the festival is concerned, it’s a welcome return home.

The Incomer received its international premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2026, and is on general release in the UK from 4th September