The Incomer: Sundance’s Unapologetic Little Comedy

At Sundance this year a small British film slipped into the Next section and walked out with the festival’s Innovator prize — not with fireworks, but with a knowing smile. The film is The Incomer, written and directed by Lewis Paxton, a first-time feature director who prefers quiet eccentricities to loud statements.

On screen, the picture is anchored by Domhnall Gleeson and bolstered by familiar British faces — Michelle Gomez and John Hannah among them — plus a supporting European ensemble that includes Gill Rankin, Grant Overk and Eamon Elliot. The cast’s chemistry is the movie’s engine: subtle, warm, oddly playful. It’s the kind of ensemble work that makes you lean in.

So what is The Incomer, exactly? Picture a grown-up fairy tale with dry humor and a gentle, off-kilter heartbeat. Paxton leans into a peculiar mythology, but he never forgets the human center: awkward connections, tentative friendships, the small kindnesses that land like soft surprises. One moment the film is quietly comic. The next it’s quietly strange. It keeps you off-balance in the best way.

Critics have been broadly favorable. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 94% critics score from 49 reviews, a sign that many reviewers found it pleasing and fresh. Metacritic tells a more measured story — 61 out of 100 from 12 critics — pointing to genuine affection mixed with reservations about pacing and tonal consistency.

Reviews run the gamut. TheWrap’s Matt Donato gave it 80/100, calling the movie a “sweet and delightful fusion of oddball mythology and deadpan wit” that’s worth a quiet grin. The Daily Beast’s Nick Schager rated it 75/100 and described it as an endearing, eccentric comedy about solitude and society. Screen Rant’s Gregory Nussen (70/100) likened The Incomer to a grown-up fairy tale: charming, playful, occasionally indulgent — its sweetness both a charm and a potential flaw.

Collider’s review (70/100) praised Gill Rankin’s fearless turn as the film’s emotional anchor and noted how the interplay with Overk and Gleeson elevates the material. The Film Stage was more reserved (50/100), appreciating parts of the movie but criticizing its length and a recurring joke that outstays its welcome. David Rooney at The Hollywood Reporter and Adrian Horton at The Guardian both landed at 40/100; they admired Paxton’s intentions but found the tonal blend — a mix of absurdism, sentiment, childlike gags and darker undercurrents — uneven for their taste.

What ties most reactions together is a common phrase: lovable performances. If you’re interested in character-driven comedies that trade in atmosphere more than broad laughs, The Incomer will likely feel like a slow, generous reveal. If you prefer sharper, punchier jokes or airtight plotting, it may test your patience.

This is a small, shy film that wins you over on its own terms.

Either way, Paxton’s debut marks him as a filmmaker to watch — someone willing to risk gentleness in an era that often mistakes volume for originality. Curious? Catch it at festivals and keep an eye on wider release dates; conversations about modest films like this tend to grow slowly, then stick around.