A musician (Tom Basden) arrives on a remote island to play an exclusive gig, only to find his millionaire host (Tim Key) may have used some poetic licence.

Essentially a feature-length version of Radio 4’s Tim Key’s Late Night Poetry Programme, this British comedy/drama bottles the bickering dynamic between Key and Basden that has glued the pair together since their student days. Their warm script punctuates whimsical comedy with heartbreaking beats, sweeping us along in the ever-changing tides of its emotion. Narratively it plays out as expected, but James Griffiths’ lyrical direction keeps pulling us in and striking new chords.

Key is a master at this mercurial pathos, turning from hilarity to sadness in the blink of an eye. The Ballad of Wallis Island also showcases Basden’s musical talents, alongside the charming Carey Mulligan as his former musical and romantic partner, and the three characters are instrumental in each other’s authentic arcs. As the duo help Key’s isolated widower repair the cracks in his life, he erodes Basden’s rockstar cynicism with the persistence of the elements that beat down on Wallis Island.

Witty, wry and wise, The Ballad of Wallis Island is an ode to the moments that blow your life off course, and the people who help you find your way back home.