Tom Basden and Tim Key might not exactly be household names in the States, but back in the UK, they’re two-fourths of the popular comedy group known as Cowards, who have been a staple of the British comedy scene for nearly 20 years. Basden also co-created and starred in the award-winning British comedy, Pleebs. The duo had a huge opportunity to break it big in the States when their heartwarming comedy, The Ballad of Wallis Island, premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival to absolute raves. Directed by James Griffiths (Cuban Fury) and co-starring Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan, Wallis Island proved to be the definition of a crowd-pleaser, with some of the best reviews for any movie this year, and yet, it just didn’t connect with American moviegoers, making less than $2 million once it was released into theaters.
What’s the Plot of ‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’?

The Ballad of Wallis Island expands upon the 2007 short film, The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island, by the same creative trio behind the feature. Basden plays the titular Herb McGwyer, one half of the popular folk act, McGwyer Mortimer, with Mulligan playing Nell Mortimer, not only his musical partner but also his former lover. In the movie, Tim Key plays Charles, a widower living on the remote Wallis Island, who is the biggest McGwyer Mortimer super-fan ever. We meet him as Herb shows up to perform a private concert for Charles, a recent lottery winner.

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Bring your guitar and tissues.

Soon, Nell shows up on the island, since Charles didn’t tell either her or Herb that their former musical partner and ex would also be there. The surprise reunion reopens many old feelings and a few old wounds, especially in Herb, since they’ve both moved on with their lives and Nell has remarried the affable American, Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen). Herb’s career has not been going well, and both he and Nell need the money, so Charles’ offer is too good to refuse, but it also means facing his issues with Nell and dealing with Charles, who is the epitome of an annoying fanboy.
This Is Why You Should Watch ‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’ ASAP

Image Via Focus Features

Written by Basdan and Key with Basdan – who also contributed the original songs he performs as Herb – the results offer a warm sense of humor, mostly due to Charles’ constant stream of bad puns, and how that gets Herb even more riled up about the situation on the island, a far more primitive environment than he’s accustomed to. Some might be surprised how a small movie like The Ballad of Wallis Island, with only three or four actors, could have such a big heart. It’s also so unique to everything else out there, including other movies coming from the UK, since it offers laughs and hope, two things that the world is in dire need of right now. Wallis Island also harks back to the work of author Nick Hornby, who has often explored the music business in amusing ways, whether it’s Hugh Grant’s hit songwriter in About a Boy, the music aspects of the record store-based High Fidelity, or the more recent Juliet, Naked, starring Ethan Hawke as a rock star who has left the public eye. There is certainly a contingent of Americans who love all things British – Downton Abbey, for instance – but despite the accents, Wallis Island still offers relatable character interactions and humor that played well enough among Americans for it to get that Sundance premiere in Park City, Utah. Much of the movie’s success comes down to the relationship between Basdan and Key, something they’ve spent 20 years developing while doing comedy together, but also with 17 years having passed since making the original short film to develop the story into a workable full-length feature. It’s obvious that Basdan and Key have evolved quite a bit as actors and writers since making the short, and the presence of Mulligan in the feature is just an extra bonus, because she brings an earnestness to the role that could only come from being a multiple Oscar-nominated actor. Being married to Marcus Mumford of the folk-rock group Mumford and Sons surely helped her understand the world of McGwyer Mortimer better than other actresses of her ilk may have. The Ballad of Wallis Island could very well sneak up on anyone who watches it, and it’s a shame it didn’t find more support before its theatrical release. Even though the comedy failed to get people who might enjoy its warm British sense of humor into theaters — that quizzical title probably didn’t help matters — thanks to streaming, even movies that fail to find an audience in theaters are preserved for the ages … or as long as Peacock chooses to keep it on its streaming service. Basden and Key’s feature film debut will certainly get more Americans interested in some of their British output, which is likely much harder to find.

The Ballad of Wallis Island

Release Date

January 25, 2025

Runtime

99 minutes

Director

James Griffiths

Writers

Tim Key, Tom Basden

Carey Mulligan

Nell Mortimer