The Ballad Of Wallis Island

THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND (2025) Cert 12A 
Tom Basden, Tim Key, Carey Mulligan. Directed by James Griffiths. 100m.

A quietly enchanting British comedy-drama about love and loss, and the ghosts left behind by the break-up of romantic and creative partnerships. Directed by James Griffiths and co-written by Tom Basden and Tim Key (who also star), the plot revolves around an eccentric but heartfelt gesture: reclusive lottery winner Charles (played by Key) hires his favourite folk singer, Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden), to play a private show on a remote island off the coast of Wales. McGwyer arrives expecting a large crowd — but instead he finds Charles alone. Eventually, he discovers that his host has also booked Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan), Herb’s estranged ex and also his former partner in musical duo McGwyer Mortimer, in the hope of reuniting their partnership. The tension between them, tied up in their tangled past, becomes the emotional core of the story. The film blooms into a nuanced exploration of memory, regret, and reconciliation. One of its greatest strengths is how unforced it feels. The humour is gentle and dry, anchored in character rather than set pieces or contrived gags. Charles is, at the same time, both endlessly talkative and emotionally brittle, using chatter as both connection and defence. He has his own very specific —and heart-breaking -— reason for attempting to get the band back together again. In its final act, the film leans into warmth rather than comedy or melodrama: the characters must reckon with their pasts, and accept what can — and also what can not — be undone. Pembrokeshire's Ramsey Island and other locations offer a beautiful backdrop to the tale. It’s a charming, heartfelt film; not flashy or sweeping, but profound in its grasp of the intricacies and complications of human connection.

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