The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford: Film Review

Peter Mullan is brilliant in The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford, an enjoyable character study of a man struggling to find his place in the modern world.

One of its employees is the extremely enthusiastic Kenneth McKay (Peter Mullan, of I Swear). An Arberloch local who lost his wife a year ago, Kenneth has taken it upon himself to promote Weatherford’s achievements and divulge his relation to him through the latter’s third cousin. As Weatherford narrates (his voice provided by Titanic’s Jonathan Hyde), Kenneth is “my only chance to save my legacy.”

Unfortunately for Kenneth, a major threat has emerged. ‘The White Stag of Emberfell’, a Game of Thrones-style fantasy TV show, has chosen the town as a shooting location for its third season. One news article says that its arrival has put Arberloch on the map. And though that irks Kenneth, the show soon conquers the town. Even worse, the visitor centre is quickly turned into an Emberfell ‘fan zone’. That spurs Kenneth to recruit a youngster named Stewart (Lewis MacDougall, of A Monster Calls) to help document Weatherford’s life and give him renewed limelight. He also tries to enlist Emberfell’s lead actor, Oscar Sorenson (Jakob Oftebro, of Kon-Tiki), to be part of it.

The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford is the first feature from Scottish-born director Seán Dunn and proves that he should be a figure to watch out for in the future. It is a film about obsession and how our relationships with popular culture can lead to a tawdry commercialism (though it is not too biting in that regard). Mainly, though, Dunn’s debut is about a man struggling to find his place in the modern world whilst coping with profound loss. Grief is not at the forefront of this story. But the recent passing of Kenneth’s wife plays a part in his feelings, as does his fractured relationship with daughter Anna (Gayle Rankin, of The Greatest Showman). As we see, he has resorted to watching old home movies of Anna from a simpler time.

And then, with the arrival of Emberfell, Kenneth loses his sense of identity too. Everything he does is tied to preserving Weatherford’s legacy and making sure everyone knows a figure he deems influential. When his granddaughter visits, he shows her the family tree with Weatherford on it. Now Arberloch is becoming known for something he doesn’t understand. It makes him feel out of place in his own town. As Weatherford puts it in one of his asides: “How tragic it is to become a stranger in one’s own home.”

For this to work, it is imperative that you feel for Kenneth, as the person he has devoted himself to for so long is marginalised. Peter Mullan manages to do that in his brilliant performance, which stands out because of its variety. His Kenneth can be stubborn, often with reckless results, but he is also fraught with sadness and disillusionment. There is despondency, isolation, sympathy, and even flickers of charm in Mullan’s commanding central turn.

At one point, The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford threatens to turn into something like Tony Scott’s The Fan, where an older person forms a dangerous obsession with a younger celebrity. Thankfully, Dunn’s story is far more interesting than that would have been. For one thing, Dunn conjures up some depth for his main characters – not just Kenneth, but also Oscar, who wants to be taken seriously as an actor. Additionally, the film adds more experimental touches as we progress. The score from Gazelle Twin is folky and otherworldly, whilst VHS-style crackles and a changed aspect ratio are used as Kenneth steps into history and sees the unpalatable truth about Weatherford.

The more experimental and open-ended the film gets, the more it loses touch with its effective story. Otherwise, The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford is thoroughly enjoyable. It succeeds as a dark comedy, with funny scenes like the ‘Emberfell’ crew interrupting one of Kenneth’s reenactments. It looks great thanks to DP David Gallego (On Becoming A Guinea Fowl). Crucially, it also succeeds as an engaging, poignant character study about someone trying to save his identity and legacy.

That theme comes up often in Dunn’s film. After all, Kenneth is trying to publicise his distant ancestor’s name. However, as Weatherford says, “one cannot always control how one’s legacy is remembered.” He cannot control his less-than-noble image any more than Kenneth can. And that quote feeds into this film, which covers how history is remembered and often rewritten over time. How a place can suddenly become known for something else entirely. And how disorientating that is for someone who feels rooted in the past, in more ways than one.

The fact that The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford examines all these points so well, whilst allowing Mullan room to shine, makes it a compelling, well-told story about being forced to adapt to the world and, as the ending makes clear, embrace the new.

The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on 12 June, 2026.