Written by Andreas Babiolakis

James Griffiths delivered a crowd-pleasing dramedy in 2025; if only said crowd knew that it existed. The feel-good(ish) film, The Ballad of Wallis Island, is the kind of smaller-scaled British film that would have made a bigger splash ten years ago; sadly, times have changed, and many films that are not promotional behemoths just do not get noticed. If you are looking for something that isn't challenging or abrasive while also not being overly simplistic, here is The Ballad of Wallis Island. Charles Heath (Tim Key) has now won the lottery twice. He and his now-deceased wife, Marie, used the first winnings to travel around the world. When they struck gold again, they retired to the title island. Sadly, Marie passed and Charles was left alone a widower. With all of that money, time, and loneliness, Charles decides to try for the impossible: a private performance by his favourite folk duo, McGwyer Mortimer, in his little island house.

This already sounds impossible, but money talks. What complicates things is that McGwyer Mortimer are no more. Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden) and Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan) were romantically linked before separating, and, thus, disbanding the duo. Well, Charles wants a reunion, and both musicians arrive without knowing the full story; Nell has her new husband, Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen), alongside her. This could only go well. Everyone is forced to confront one another in this tiny domicile, and — while the film never gets serious to the point of pure drama — you can imagine how a dramedy like this will transpire: with a few hiccups, some awkward comedy, and heaps of heart and soul. As the film progresses, the healing power of music takes over; it is needed for all of the above in this small house on this quaint island.

*The Ballad of Wallis Island* is such a sweet film. So, so, so, so sweet.

This is just a purely sweet film that will certainly have its audience. While I don't feel like much has stuck with me after I was done watching, it did feel a bit like sugary escapism while the film was running. The film does bring forth the notion of longevity quite a bit, including what goes into a song (the titular "The Ballad of Wallis Island", which is indebted to the entire film's narrative), a relationship, or a life. Much of the film is spent on the concept of reflection, including looking back on a career, the grief over a lost loved one, or wondering where it all went wrong (or, antithetically, how one could be so lucky). There's a bit of extra juice here to elevate The Ballad of Wallis Island above being your run-of-the-mill film, and I do think that this film will be stumbled upon by passersby for years down the line; it may not change their lives, but they will be pleased to have had this encounter nonetheless.

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.