The British independent film Washed Up, directed by Isabel Daly, arrives as part of the programme for the 40th BFI Flare. Screening at BFI Southbank, the festival runs 18 – 29 March, and Daly’s feature debut has been highlighted for its mix of warmth and strangeness. Shot in a coastal setting in Cornwall, the film frames a modern queer love story within a tradition of myth, while remaining attentive to the gritty realities of small‑town life and the pressures of change.
At the centre is Morwenna — nicknamed Scummy — played by Anna Ivankovic, whose life is unspooling: a recent breakup, a family house to sell and the uncertain future of an artist in a changing seaside village. Enter Inga, portrayed by Carys Glynne, who is revealed to be a selkie — a being that can shift between seal and human form. The film unpacks the strange intimacy of a fumbling encounter that transforms into a complicated situationship, blending awkward comedy and heartfelt emotion in a way that feels both specific and universal.
Tone, humour and honest emotion
Daly and her collaborators worked deliberately to shape a tone that allows laughter and sorrow to coexist. The film leans into magical realism while keeping scenes anchored by recognisable human dilemmas: fear of abandonment, anxiety about leaving home and the sting of economic displacement. Daly recognised that the most resonant comic beats often land amid vulnerability, and she and her team looked for those fragile moments where humour naturally emerges from pain. This approach gives the film a buoyant rhythm that keeps mythology from overwhelming character depth, and helps viewers feel the stakes beneath the surreal moments.
Finding balance on screen
Practical decisions in performance and editing were used to keep that balance: small, awkward gestures, silences that breathe, and scenes that let the audience notice the gap between longing and action. By foregrounding character over spectacle, the film resists turning the selkie reveal into a simple plot device. Instead, the myth becomes a lens through which questions about identity, belonging and intimacy are examined. The result is a romcom that feels refreshingly messy and sincere rather than neatly packaged.
Roots, influences and ambitions
Daly’s creative path is threaded through informal study, curiosity and a deep affection for cinema. She and the cast have spoken about learning through watching extensive behind‑the‑scenes material — a reminder that nontraditional routes into filmmaking can be formative. Daly also brings a personal perspective as a Peruvian‑American filmmaker, and she expresses a clear desire to tell more coming‑of‑age stories and to work with diverse ensembles. That ambition includes an expressed wish to create projects with Latina actors, expanding the kinds of stories she can help bring to screens.
Production choices and small‑scale ingenuity
The film’s production reflects a resourceful, independent spirit: intimate locations, concentrated casts and a willingness to explore tonal shifts. Those choices serve both the narrative and the film’s commentary on contemporary pressures like gentrification and the financial strain on creative lives. While the movie indulges its imaginative elements, it remains committed to portraying the economic and social challenges that shape its characters’ decisions.
Advice and impact for queer filmmakers
When asked about guidance for other LGBTQIA+ creators, Daly stresses freedom from external expectations. She argues that representation should not be treated as a checklist or a concession: queer storytellers should make the films that reflect their impulses, even if those choices unsettle mainstream comfort. Whether that means centring a messy protagonist or setting a queer story in an unconventional genre, her message is clear — pursue the work that feels true, and don’t let heteronormative assumptions narrow creative possibility.
As Washed Up screens at the 40th BFI Flare, the film joins a programme notable for its variety and willingness to foreground queer voices. Publications and festivals continue to spotlight media made by and for LGBTQIA+ women and gender‑diverse people, and organisations such as the DIVA Charitable Trust support that cultural ecosystem. Daly’s debut is an example of how myth and realism can combine to illuminate contemporary queer experience while inviting audiences to laugh, wince and reflect.