Salvation, the feature debut from Scottish writer-director Tom Nicoll, premiered in the Discovery section at the Toronto International Film Festival after being selected for the BFI and British Council’s Great 8 showcase at Cannes earlier this year. MetFilm Sales has boarded world sales for the film, which stars Liam Harkins, Stephen McMillan, Kathleen McDermott and Conor McCarron.
The critical response out of Toronto has been strongly positive, with multiple reviews singling out Harkins’ performance as the film’s major strength. At the same time, a small number of critics found the film’s emotional impact more modest than its craft and execution might suggest.
Set largely in Greenock, a post-industrial Scottish town in the Inverclyde region, Salvation follows Danny Carlton, played by Harkins, as he emerges from a self-improvement retreat convinced that he has finally found his purpose. Transformed, at least in his own mind, by charismatic guru Marshall Allison, played by Kevin O’Loughlin, Danny sets out to build a life-coaching business of his own. The problem is that almost nobody wants what he is selling, while the money he has borrowed to pursue his new identity continues to pile up. His one loyal client is Scott, played by Stephen McMillan, a timid young man who falls under Danny’s spell even as he begins to suspect that his mentor may be full of empty promises.
Variety’s review, headlined “A Pin-Sharp Portrait of an Aspiring Life Coach in Personal Freefall,” was among the film’s strongest responses. The publication describes Danny as a character whose “palpable air of uncertainty” and “shallow, darting gaze” make him appear untrustworthy from the outset. The review ultimately argues that these qualities are not disguising Danny’s intentions so much as revealing the sadness at the centre of the character.
Variety praises Harkins’ performance as “brilliantly twitchy” and “discomfiting,” while also highlighting Alex Grigoras’ cinematography. The film’s tight close-ups and cramped Academy ratio mirror Danny’s dependence on his phone’s front-facing camera as he continually performs a version of himself for clients and social media.
Nicoll has explained that the film was not primarily conceived as a satire of male influencer culture. Instead, he was interested in questions of purpose, value and the choices people make about where to direct their energy. He described Danny’s attraction to self-improvement culture as being connected to something “lacking” in him and to the promise of status and self-optimisation. Nicoll also wrote the role specifically for Harkins after working with him on the short film Lighting Tests, drawn to what he described as the actor’s combination of conventional masculinity, vulnerability, sensitivity and comedic timing.
That decision has been strongly supported by the critical response. The Holo Files called Harkins’ performance “a revelation,” praising his ability to capture the contrast between Danny’s public confidence and grandiosity and his private desperation and struggle. ICS Film similarly highlighted the actor’s ability to balance confidence, sincerity and insecurity, while also praising Stephen McMillan’s performance as Scott. Brief Take described Harkins as “blazing” and noted that, despite the audience recognising that Danny’s plan is unlikely to succeed, his enthusiasm remains contagious.
Nicoll’s direction has also drawn attention, particularly given the film’s limited production resources. ICS Film noted that Nicoll taught himself filmmaking without attending film school while working at a small commercial production company. Salvation was shot in just 18 days on a limited budget, with Nicoll reportedly even driving costumes to set on days when the production could not afford a costume designer.
Despite those constraints, the film’s visual execution received praise. ICS Film highlighted Nicoll’s use of natural lighting, while Film Fest Report compared the film’s escalating tension to Uncut Gems and Lucky Lu. The latter publication also singled out Salla Luhtala’s “orchestral and unrelenting” score.
Not every review was uniformly enthusiastic. Unseen Films described Salvation as a well-made drama that entertained without fully clicking, arguing that its plotting does not offer many surprises despite the strength of the cast. The review nevertheless praised the execution, describing the film as “damn near perfectly told.” Dan Pal’s PalCinema was more positive, awarding the film 3½ out of 4 stars following its Toronto premiere.
Several reviews also placed Salvation within a wider cultural conversation around online life and self-improvement culture. Variety described it as a timely film engaging with discourse surrounding the pressures placed on Gen Z men living heavily online, while stressing that the story remains grounded in broader questions of British class, gender and geographical difference. The Holo Files similarly highlighted the film’s critique of self-improvement culture and online influencers, alongside its depiction of young men struggling to find direction in adulthood.
Taken together, the Toronto reviews point to an assured debut from Nicoll, with Liam Harkins emerging as the film’s most consistently praised element. While some critics found the emotional payoff less powerful than the filmmaking itself, Salvation has nevertheless attracted attention as a distinctive debut and as a showcase for Harkins, whose performance several outlets have identified as a potential breakthrough.
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Film Details : Salvation
Director: Tom Nicoll
Writer: Tom Nicoll
Cast: Liam Harkins, Stephen McMillan, Kathleen McDermott, Conor McCarron, Kevin O’Loughlin
Genre: Psychological Drama / Black Comedy
Country: United Kingdom
Runtime: 91 minutes
Cinematography: Alex Grigoras
Music: Salla Luhtala
Sales: MetFilm Sales
Festival: Toronto International Film Festival 2026 (Discovery)
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