Whereas it’s solely April, I can confidently say that The Ballad Of Wallis Island can be considered one of the vital beautiful movies launched in 2025. It has drama and tastes of cynicism, however, as I observe in my four-star CinemaBlend assessment, it has an incredible quantity of heat telling a narrative in regards to the worth of closure. And but, as somebody who loves horror motion pictures, I can’t assist however observe how the essential setup of the plot may very well be the primary act of a slasher.
Within the movie, a musician shifting into the second half of his profession (Tom Basden) is employed by a rich oddball (Tim Key) to carry out on a distant island… however there are some key particulars in regards to the gig which are neglected of the settlement. Finally, these particulars embody the truth that the musician can be enjoying for an viewers of 1, and he’ll basically be pressured to reunite with the opposite member of his disbanded folks duo (Carey Mulligan). It’s mild drama, however issues might have taken a a lot darker flip, and Key (who co-wrote the script with Basden) acknowledged that darkness once I interviewed him final month. Mentioned the actor/author,
I believe as a kind of a pitch, it does sound prefer it might go that course. That was by no means fairly the plan, but additionally yeah, it might kind of really feel like type of crass and kind of creepy. On paper, my man’s a nasty man, and to be honest, they’re mercenaries and so everybody’s dangerous. In order that’s your start line, and then you definately kind of gotta try to flip that spherical by really what you write and the way you carry out it.
As featured within the video on the prime of this interview, I had the possibility to speak with Tim Key, Tom Basden, Carey Mulligan and director James Griffiths throughout the digital press day for The Ballad Of Wallis Island, and my very first query regarded how the movie’s first act might turn out to be the beginning of a horror story with some tonal tweaking. It doesn’t go that method, however Key did acknowledge that the characters aren’t precisely angels: Charles (Key’s character) acts in dangerous religion not telling Basden’s Herb McGwyer about his plans, and Herb and Carey Mulligan’s Nell Mortimer are arguably promoting out by performing the live performance in alternate for a large payday.
As a result of the size of the story in The Ballad Of Wallis Island is so small, the movie is de facto depending on the attitudes and impressions of its characters guiding the tone, and that was one thing that Tim Key defined in additional answering my query. The entire gamers within the plot (no one actually matches into conventional “protagonist” and “antagonist” roles) are flawed, however they expertise super progress throughout their expertise collectively on the titular isle. Key continued,
That is kind of the balancing act that – you wanna make him a sympathetic particular person and also you need to step by step understand this comes from a extremely heat, tender place, which it does. Within the writing of it, you do not carry that in till later and also you step by step understand the place everybody comes from with their very own characters, and hopefully, you’re feeling some type of sympathy for the man. And likewise he is fairly annoying, so you need to let battle towards that as properly.
Charles is annoying, however it’s a lovable type of annoying by which you’ll be able to’t assist however be charmed.
Additionally starring Sian Clifford and Akemnji Ndifornyen, The Ballad Of Wallis Island is now enjoying in theaters, and in the event you’re trying to smother your self within the cinematic equal of a heat blanket, it’s a must-see.