A strong contender for film of the year so far is The Ballad Of Wallace Island. Not only is it genuinely funny, but it’s also exceedingly poignant and very British. A word of mouth sleeper hit, made on a shoestring budget, I was dead chuffed to see a good-sized audience for it when I finally went to watch it this week.
With an almost perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, Tim Key excels as eccentric Lottery winner Charles, who lives alone on a remote island and hatches a plan to get his favourite folk duo back together for a one-off gig. Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan play Herb and Nell, who haven’t seen one another for several years, and the tension in the air is palpable.
This is a film about love, loss, loneliness, and appreciating life. It’s one that I know I’ll watch again, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot since watching it. It’s a simple premise, but so cleverly done. Be warned that you may need a tissue for the final 20 minutes. I love Tim Key as ‘Sidekick Simon’ on the Alan Partridge shows, and the quickfire lines he delivers in the script here are brilliant (‘Dame Judi Drench’ being a highlight after Herb falls into the sea when disembarking from his boat). Charming, heartwarming, and superb. It’s still on at HOME in Manchester for a few more days if you’re quick.
Meanwhile, macabre zombies and gorgeous cinematography come together to make 28 Years Later. I recently watched the 2002 original film 28 Days Later on iPlayer, and thought Cilian Murphy excelled as usual, plus it’s aged very well. The latest incarnation sees a father and son navigate the tidal causeway from their island fortress to hunt for zombies on the mainland. Jodie Comer is excellent (although I didn’t realise it was her in the first few scenes!), and whilst the first half sags in pace a little at times, there is certainly enough going on to keep your attention. And it’s a lot more emotional than I was expecting, especially during the Ralph Fiennes skull scenes.
Alex Garland and Danny Boyle have certainly pulled it out of the bag, and I particularly liked the scene on the abandoned train, and with the Swedish soldier who rescued Isla and Spike from the abandoned Happy Eater restaurant. The ending was quite the eyebrow-raiser too, and arguably the most chilling scene in the film. I’m already looking forward to 28 Days Later : The Bone Temple, which has apparently already been shot and is set for release in January 2026.
Next up, I’m looking forward to catching M3gan 2.0, Jurassic World Rebirth and F1, which I’ll be reviewing next week. If you’re looking for a streaming recommendation, Echo Valley (Apple TV) is a decent collaboration between Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney, as a tricky mother/daughter relationship is put to the ultimate test. Slightly far-fetched, especially the final plot twist at the end, but certainly worth a watch. Happy film watching!
