“The Ballad of Wallis Island†has an exceptional sense of place built on a verdant beauty and inspiring detailed world building. When Herb arrives at Wallis Island, he does so by motorboat. The island doesn’t have a dry dock, so Herb must wade through the cold sea to shore. Charles comes to greet him with a mini dry white eraser board, but he doesn’t provide much help. Wallis island doesn’t have hotels or stadiums or stores. In fact, it barely has people. So what’s billed to Herb as Wallis Lodge is actually Charles’ house. The one shop, owned by an adorable Amanda (Sian Clifford), never has anything in stock. While the script provides plenty of punchlines around these locales, DP G. Magni Ãgústsson’s soft lensing isn’t punching down. He captures these lived-in spaces, whose paint is scraped and chipped by the sound of the sea, with the same love and care Charles feels for them. , The Ballad of Wallis Island is a 2025 British comedy-drama film directed by James Griffiths, produced by Rupert Majendie, and written by Tim Key and Tom Basden. It is based on their 2007 short film The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island., The Ballad of Wallis Island: Directed by James Griffiths. With Tim Key, Tom Basden, Steve Marsh, Sian Clifford. An eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island tries to make his fantasies come true by getting his favorite musicians to perform at his home..