Luka Downie

Luka Downie brings something wild to The Ballad of Wallis Island, a 2025 flick that doesn’t exactly fit into any neat little box. It’s set on this crumbling, half-forgotten spit of land that’s technically part of nowhere, and honestly, the place feels like a character all by itself—moody skies, rusty swings, all that weird atmospheric stuff. Luka plays Kellan, a guy who was supposed to leave Wallis years ago but, you know, life had other plans. Stuck running his dad’s busted marina and dodging rumors about some lost pirate gold, Kellan gets dragged into this mess when a slick outsider shows up with a map, a smile, and way too many secrets. There’s this whole undercurrent of locals-versus-outsiders tension. People on Wallis Island don’t forget a grudge, and they definitely don’t trust strangers poking around. Kellan’s old flame is tangled up with the new arrival, too, which just makes things messier (because of course it does). There’s a storm coming—literally and metaphorically—and the last third of the movie goes off the rails in a good way: boats chase each other through fog, people double-cross left and right, and the legend of Wallis Island’s treasure gets flipped on its head. Downie’s performance has this jittery, haunted edge, and the whole thing ends on a note that’s both sad and kinda hopeful. It’s not your typical treasure hunt movie, that’s for sure.