88 feature films screened at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival this past January. It’s a good sign if you’re film is still remembered two months later without any title prompting. That’s been our anecdotal experience with James Griffith’s “The Ballad of Wallis Island,” which followed up its Park City world premiere by generating even more word of mouth at SXSW just a few weeks ago. Today, Focus Features has provided The Playlist with an exclusive first look at stars Carey Mulligan and Tom Basden singing the delightful original song, “Our Love,” which you can find embedded in this post.
“The Ballad of Wallis Island” follows Charles (Tim Key of “Mickey 17” and “Wicked Little Letters”), as he invites his favorite musical act, the fictional McGwyer Mortimer (Basden and Mulligan), to his remote island getaway. A recent (and multiple) lottery winner, Charles’ dream comes true when the one-time lovers accept his invitation to play a private show on Wallis Island. Not only is Herb McGwyer unaware that Nell Mortimer will be there, but neither has been told their paid gig has just one intended attendee, Charles. Awkward.
In the clip, Herb and Nell spend a moment together rehearsing one of their classic songs. It’s the first time they have sung together in years.
The feature is an adaptation of a BAFTA Award-nominated short film Griffiths, Key, and Basden made before their individual careers took off, 2007’s “The One and Only Herb BcGwyer Plays Wallis Island.”
“Our Song” was written and composed by Basden, who composed approximately 25 songs for the movie. The catalog was influenced by artists such as Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Halstead, Gillian Welch, and Paul Simon. Barsden is quoted in the film’s production notes saying, “I wanted the songs from McGwyer Mortimer’s early albums to feel quite timeless, almost as though they could have been recorded in the 1960s, and to have an innocence and sincerity to them, which Herb feels as though he’s lost since he and Nell parted ways.”
You can also watch the official trailer at the bottom of this story.
“The Ballad of Wallis Island” opens in select theaters this Friday, March 28, and nationwide on Friday, April 18
