Glenrothan ★★

Released: 17 April 2026

Director: Brian Cox

Starring: Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Shirley Henderson, Alexandra Shipp

Brian Cox has long been a formidable screen presence, known for his roles in Braveheart, the Bourne franchise, and, most notably, Succession as the iconic Logan Roy. Now he turns his hand to directing with Glenrothan, which, as the name suggests, is a love letter to his native Scotland. Cox’s Sandy owns a distillery in the picturesque Scottish Highlands, and his brother Donal (Alan Cumming) has not been home in 35 years after emigrating to the US.

Donal and his family return to his native area, following the closure of his bar. This leads to some soul searching as he reunites with the land and his long lost brother, questioning the decisions he has made and the lapsed years away.

It feels, for the most part, frustratingly lacking in substance and plagued by cliches. There have been many films cut from a similar cloth. Glenrothan is surprisingly light even when searching for moments of depth. As you might expect, the central pair are likeable and do share some strong chemistry. The reasons for Donal’s departure and strained relationships however aren’t delved into in enough detail, leaving the cast to work often with a bare bones script.

This is the sort of film that is commonplace and may have been more of a hit 20-30 years ago, but feels frustratingly light for 2026. It is old-fashioned to a tee, and while it is refreshing to see Cox shying away from his grumpy old man persona, there is little here to indicate that he can become as strong a director as he is an actor. There are glimpses at some more nuanced storytelling and of course the stunning scenery does some heavy lifting. There is a frustrating tendency for the film to undermine its more interesting moments with tropes or underbaked storylines. Donal’s friendship with Jess (Shirley Henderson) is a prime example of this.

Whilst Glenrothan isn’t completely without its moments of charm, it does feel by the numbers and there have been many films that have explored similar territory. There is clearly a sense of goodwill and endeavour on the part of the cast so it is a shame that the end product is not more refined.