The Ballad of Wallis Island is set to be released in the US on March 28, 2025. James Griffith directed the British comedy, while Rupert Majendie is the producer. Tim Key and Tom Basden wrote the screenplay.
The Ballad of Wallis Island follows Charles, a lottery winner, who invites his favorite rock band, McGwyer Mortimer, to his remote Wallis Island home. However, the band's lead duo, Herb McGwyer and Nell, are former lovers who have several unsolved issues. When they get together for a private concert, old tensions rise and issues come to the surface.
The cast of The Ballad of Wallis Island features Tim Key as Charles, Tom Basden as Her McGwyer, Carey Mulligan as Nell, and Akemnji Ndifornyen as Michael, Nell's husband.
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The Ballad of Wallis Island will be released on March 28, 2025, in the United States
The British comedy is set to be released on March 28, 2025, and explores themes of loneliness, and music. It is set in a place in a location that feels almost cut off from the rest of the world.
The Ballad of Wallis Island follows Charles, a lottery winner who has shut himself off on a faraway island. Charles is a big fan of the folk-rock duo McGwyer Mortimer from the past and asks them to play a private concert at his mansion.
Herb McGwyer, a frustrated musician who goes on tour by himself and reluctantly agrees to play on Wallis Island for a large fee. However, what he doesn't know is that Charles has also asked Nell, Herb's former bandmate and lover, to perform with him.
Nell has grown away from the music world and lives a quiet life in Portland, Oregon. When Nell is invited to the mansion to perform with her ex, between the former bandmates and lovers. However, Charles has also invited Nell's husband, Michael as well.
As the story goes on, Charles's love of McGwyer Mortimer's music and his efforts to make the perfect concert experience force Herb and Nell to face their past. At first, Herb doesn't want to play music with Nell again, but with the closeness of the island and Charles' support, the two start healing their wounds.
As the movie goes on, Charles' fixation on the duo's music shows how much he admires them, but also how much he wants to remember the past, especially his late wife. Even though the concert is a small event, the emotional stakes are very high as the characters deal with their pasts and figure out how to move on.
The Ballad of Wallis Island: What's in the trailer?
The trailer for The Ballad of Wallis Island gives a taste of the strange humor and dark feelings that make the movie what it is. It starts with the line, "We'll always have this island and your beautiful music," which sets the story's nostalgic and slightly sad mood.
When Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden) arrives on the island, Charles (Tim Key) greets him as the musician asks if the island has a harbor. However, Charles tells him that there only "kind of nature's harbor," showing that the island is kind of a lonely place.
When Herb wonders where the audience will be as he was told that there will be a hundred people attending the concert, Charles corrects him by saying that he said there would be "less than a hundred." Herb seemingly realizes that he would be playing only for Charles, which frustrates him. This shows the difference between what Charles had planned and what Herb had in mind.
As the trailer progresses, Charles shows the musician how much he loves the band when he confesses that their music "changed everything."
At the end of the trailer, Herb and Nell (Carey Mulligan) are getting ready to play again, and there are some quiet moments with music. Charles also encourages the former bandmates to enjoy the beauty of the island as they have recently reunited.
Cast of The Ballad of Wallis Island
In The Ballad of Wallis Island, Tim Key plays Charles, a strange character who is crazy about the band McGwyer Mortimer and a big part of the movie's charm.
Tom Basden plays Herb McGwyer, a part of the folk-rock duo, McGwyer Mortimer. His journey of self-reflection is a big part of the movie's emotional arc. Nell Mortimer, played by Carey Mulligan, is the other half of the famous duo and is trying to get away from her music past.
Sian Clifford plays Amanda, who adds to the tension of the island setting, and Akemnji Ndifornyen plays Michael, Nell's husband, who is caught up in the tension between the two ex-lovers.
The Ballad of Wallis Island will be in US theatres on March 28, 2025.