The Ballad of Wallis Island (2025) review

Two-time lottery winner Charles (Tim Key) lives alone on the very remote Wallis Island (his wife Maria passed away) and he hires music star Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden), who was previously half of a popular folk duo with Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan), to stay in his home and play a concert for him ... but then Nell appears with her husband Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen), and her presence shatters Herb because he's still in love with her.  Griffiths, Basden and Key made an attempt to expand a short film they made back in 2007 and the result is highly diluted and unapologetically soppy (there's even a "fake" suicide attempt), and Charles' endless supply of puns and attempts at jokes becomes grating quickly (although some viewers may find it endearing).  That said, the songs are pleasant enough to listen to, and the consistently gloomy weather (it was filmed in Wales) acts as its own character, reflecting the melancholy of its main characters who, one would hope, will see more pleasant days in the future.