Universal Pictures has released the first official trailer for The Incomer, introducing Domhnall Gleeson as an awkward government official sent to remove two siblings from the remote Scottish island they have called home all their lives, with predictably complicated results.
Gleeson stars as Daniel, who arrives on the island with orders to relocate Isla (Gayle Rankin) and Sandy (Grant O’Rourke). The pair survive by hunting seabirds, retelling stories passed down through their family and protecting their home from the outsiders they refer to as “Incomers.”
The trailer quickly makes it clear that Daniel’s arrival is not appreciated. Isla and Sandy have spent 30 years living by their own rules, and they make several attempts to frighten him away before he can carry out the government’s plans. However, the longer Daniel stays, the closer he becomes to the siblings and their unusual way of life. When his bosses arrive to complete the eviction, he is forced to decide whether to follow his orders or help Isla and Sandy defend the only home they have ever known.
The footage introduces the film’s offbeat humour and Scottish folklore, with the siblings talking to mythical beings and treating the island as a world entirely separate from the mainland. Daniel is an outsider in every sense, but he may have more in common with them than any of the three initially realise.
Written and directed by Scottish filmmaker Louis Paxton, The Incomer marks his feature-length debut following work on short films and television series including Shetland and Wreck. The cast also includes Emun Elliott, Michelle Gomez and John Hannah.
The comedy had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it won the NEXT Innovator Award. The Sundance jury praised the film as an original comic fable bringing together folklore, deadpan humour and animation.
Scottish audiences will get an early chance to see the film when it opens the 2026 Edinburgh International Film Festival on 13 August. It will then be released in UK cinemas by Universal Pictures on 4 September.
For CultureCues, The Incomer immediately has our attention. A strange Scottish island, Domhnall Gleeson trying to complete a seemingly impossible council job and two siblings determined to send him packing is already a brilliant setup. The trailer is funny and wonderfully odd, but there is clearly plenty of heart underneath it too. We are very ready to meet the island’s latest Incomer.
The Incomer opens the Edinburgh International Film Festival on 13 August before arriving in UK cinemas on 4 September.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.