New Comedy Movie Starring Harry Potter Alum Debuts To Stellar Rotten Tomatoes Score

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Published Jan 31, 2026, 11:27 AM EST

Ryan Northrup is a Senior Staff Writer on ScreenRant's Movie & TV News team, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and reviews. A graduate of McMaster University, Ryan began his career in public relations before attending Vancouver Film School. There, he built lasting industry connections and optioned a feature film screenplay.

The Rotten Tomatoes score is revealed for The Incomer, an offbeat new comedy starring Harry Potter's Domhnall Gleeson. Directed by Louis Paxton, the film premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival, with reviews now making their way online.

As of writing, The Incomer's Rotten Tomatoes score sits at an impressive 88% from 17 reviews. This score is sure to fluctuate as more reviews are added, but the film's "fresh" designation suggests critics are charmed by the film's quirky sense of humor and unique premise.

No Popcornmeter score has arrived just yet, but one should take shape after more general audiences get a chance to watch the film. The Incomer doesn't yet have an announced theatrical or streaming release date, but it's already making waves, as it won the NEXT Innovator Award at Sundance.

The Incomer takes place on a remote Scottish isle, with Gleeson playing Daniel, an awkward land recovery coordinator who upends the lives of siblings Isla (Gayle Rankin) and Sandy (Grant O'Rourke). Following the disappearance of their parents, Isla and Sandy have become accustomed to their solitary lifestyle of hunting seabirds and speaking to mythical creatures.

Gregory Nussen's The Incomer review for ScreenRant more or less matches the general critics' reception at seven out of 10. Nussen praises Rankin's performance and the project's unique sense of humor, even if the film struggles to offer the emotional depth to fully support it across a feature-length runtime. They write:

The Incomer is a sweet and charming adult fairy tale whose primary characteristic, a twee and cheeky sense of humor, is both its appeal and its achilles' heel. It's a darling movie brought to life by a star-turning performance from Gayle Rankin, but there's not a ton under the hood. One can sense the growing pains of debut feature director Louis Paxton, whose quirky sensibility doesn't always translate well to a longer film.

Gleeson will still be best known to many for his inclusion in the larger Harry Potter cast, playing Bill Weasley in The Deathly Hallows (2010) and The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). In addition to appearing as General Hux in Disney's Star Wars sequel trilogy, he also recently made a big splash on the small screen with The Paper, a spinoff of The Office.

Rankin, meanwhile, may be familiar to viewers for her roles in hit shows like Glow, Perry Mason, and House of the Dragon, while O'Rourke has appeared in Outlander and Shetland, among others. The Incomer also features Michelle Gomez, John Hannah, and Emun Elliott.

The British comedy marks Paxton's biggest feature film as a director thus far after plenty of work in the world of TV, including on shows like Shetland and Wreck. He also directed the TV movie Calamity James (2023).

It remains to be seen how The Incomer will fare when more people get a chance to see it, but it certainly has the makings of a popular streaming comedy in Britain and beyond. Critics clearly believe the film has plenty going for it.