BFI FLARE 2026: WASHED UP (2026)

In a small Cornish town, Morwenna’s low-key existence is irrevocably changed when she falls for the mercurial Inga. Their burgeoning relationship is significantly complicated as Inga is a mythical Selkie in Isabel Daly’s charming comedy Washed Up.

We learn about Morwenna, known as Scummy, (Anna Ivankovic, feature debut) as she shares during online Cornish language classes.

An unsuccessful artist, her attempts to promote herself to the town’s artist-in-residence unnoticed while her side hustle selling weed is more lucrative.

She also sells overpriced memorabilia to tourists alongside Crystal (Anna Liddle, Mary Anning and the Dinosaur Hunters) her kooky tarot-reading faux step-grandmother who we’re told had fifteen years of ‘beautiful sex’ with Scummy’s grandfather.

Cousin Connor (Sam Hunter, Why Would You?) sole focus us selling their late grandfather’s house, he is even prepared with emergency décor “I always have a spare fish” which amusingly foreshadows the imminent change in Scummy’s life.

Crying on the beach, listening to a message from her ex-girlfriend Olivia, Scummy meets the enigmatic Inga (Carys Glynne, The Company called Glitch that Nobody and Everybody Wanted) reading by a fire.

The attraction and curiosity are instant, Scummy tells Inga her eyes are intense and invites her over when she learns it’s Inga’s last night.

Sharing seduction techniques, Inga offering tactile stone-skimming tutorials while Scummy offers Spider-Man kisses which she amusingly attempts to show Inga.

Scummy is stunned the following day when she sees Inga and ‘her sisters’ walk into the sea and turn into seals. Crystal confirms they must be Selkies from Cornish folklore who dance at the edges of the human world.

Her attraction to Scummy draws Inga back the following day, breaking her patterns, and over time the two declare deep feelings for each other.

A magic mushroom trip is both entertaining “would you love me if I was a grasshopper” and important as Inga’s fur coat is lost that she needs to turn.

Scummy discovers she’d stored the coat under her bed but decides to leave it there so Inga has to stay. Discovering this eventually, Inga is furious as Scummy saw her fading and changing.

Inga stays with Crystal as she attempts to turn and leave the town. A potential art opportunity comes Scummy’s way before she reconnects with Inga before the Selkie leaves for good.

There is an underlying theme of people leaving Scummy’s life: tourists leaving after the summer season, Olivia, her grandfather and Inga. Inga had earlier noticed that Scummy doesn’t watch her leave but in the final moments a teary-eyed Scummy watches as Inga disappears into the water.

Anna Ivankovic gives a lovely warm performance as Scummy, very natural, and moving. As a lead she is likeable and easy to root for and hopefully will more opportunities to shine.

As Inga, Carys Glynne (also on co-writer and editor duties) is a lot of fun. Constantly wide-eyed, she convincingly alternates between being a source of comedy and wisdom, even if her non-distinct Scandinavian seems to slip slightly in a couple of places.

Anna Lidde is an absolute hoot as Crystal, with her increasingly elaborate plaits. She enjoys many of the film’s biggest laughs; “lizards shouldn’t be kept as pets, they know too much.”

The warm and witty screenplay is sprinkled with amusing lines throughout as well as poetic turns of phrase.

Isabel Daly’s feature directorial debut is a quirky and moving British indie shining a unique light on life and love in Cornwall.

‘Washed Up’ screened as a World Premier6 at the 2026 BFI Flare Festival on 25 March 2026.