Movie Review: ‘The Outrun’

‘The Outrun’ stars a powerful, poignant Saoirse Ronan as a young woman who heads to the remote islands on which she grew up to battle her personal demons.

Saoirse Ronan as Rona in ‘The Outrun’. Photo: Martin Scott Powell. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

Opening in theaters October 4th is ‘The Outrun,’ directed by Nora Fingscheidt and starring Saoirse Ronan, Paapa Essiedu, Nabil Elouahabi, Lauren Lyle, Saskia Reeves, and Stephen Dillane.

Initial Thoughts

Saoirse Ronan as Rona in ‘The Outrun’. Photo: Anne Binckebanck. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

Based on a memoir by Amy Liptrot, ‘The Outrun’ finds a young woman named Rona returning to her home on Scotland’s Orkney Islands after spending 10 years in London – a decade that ended with her becoming an alcoholic and hitting rock bottom before going into recovery.

The addiction-and-recovery story is in some ways a tried-and-true narrative in Hollywood: it offers a story of deep personal tribulation and struggle that often (but not always) ends in triumph or at least redemption. ‘The Outrun’ doesn’t reinvent the wheel in that regard, but it distinguishes itself through striking direction from Nora Fingscheidt, the beautiful, surreal land-and-seascapes of the Orkneys, and a towering performance from one of our finest actresses, Saoirse Ronan.

Story and Direction

Saoirse Ronan as Rona in ‘The Outrun’. Photo: Anne Binckebanck. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

Biology student Rona (Saoirse Ronan) is 29 years old when she comes back to her home on Scotland’s Orkney Islands after a decade in London that ended with her crashing into alcoholism. Losing everything in the city – including her boyfriend Daynin (Paapa Essiedu) – she returns home sober but lonely and still trying to come to grips with the ghosts of her past. Initially staying with her very religious mother Annie (Saskia Reeves) while helping her bipolar dad Andrew (Stephen Dillane) on his sheep farm, Rona is fearful that she’ll slip again, so she ventures even further to a remote island called Papay.

There, living in a small cottage on the sparsely inhabited island with its gale winds and heavy sense of isolation, surrounded by the monolithic rocks and sweeping sea, Rona finally begins to acknowledge her past and start healing. Ingratiating herself with the small Papay community, she also finds a connection to nature and the land itself -- out at the edge of the world.

Saoirse Ronan as Rona in ‘The Outrun’. Photo: Yunus Roy Imer. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

The title of ‘The Outrun’ can refer to Rona both running away from her past and trying to outrun her demons and addictions before they catch up with her again, and there is tension inherent in the often lonely battle that she faces to overcome both. Told in non-linear order, the film presents Rona’s past and present as a sort of mosaic, with director Nora Fingscheidt piecing them together in such a way that time and reality almost seem to shift, with events from several timelines – her childhood, London, now -- sometimes overlapping. Fingscheidt uses color to differentiate between stages of Rona’s life, with the natural yet stark blues and grays of the island giving away to more vibrantly bright memories of London that soon curdle into drab, darkened visions as Rona recalls more of her descent.

The slightly more chaotic rhythm of the film’s first half gradually settles down, as Rona begins to feel the effect of Papay’s isolation around her and allows her mind and heart to face what she’s been running from. And even as she does this, she becomes part of the community, participating in its events and rituals while focusing on her scientific studies. The mystical quality of the island itself acts as a sort of balm on her soul.

With its inspiring yet intimidating setting – it’s a hardscrabble life out there -- and the circumstances that Rona finds herself living in, ‘The Outrun’ does stand out in its way from other recovery dramas that have come before it. Fingscheidt’s compositions, along with the score, editing, and fantastic cinematography, make Rona’s story both epic and intimate. While her character arc can feel like a familiar one, the unique scenario around it guarantees a fresh, poignant experience.

The Cast

(L to R) Saoirse Ronan as Rona, Stephen Dillane as Andrew in ‘The Outrun’. Photo: Anne Binckebanck. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

In a career that includes standout turns in films like ‘Lady Bird,’ ‘Brooklyn,’ ‘Little Women,’ and ‘Hanna,’ Saoirse Ronan may top them all with ‘The Outrun.’ Rona is a complex character – often selfish, petty, and mean (especially in the early going), but possessed of a sharp wit, intelligence, and intuition, as well as a fierce inner strength that ultimately keeps her going. We see Rona deep in self-pity, so drunk she can’t even stand, impatient and angry with her mom, energized by her studies, and heartbroken and bereft, and Ronan brings a raw honesty to every shade of the character that feels real and lived-in. ‘The Outrun’ occasionally feels like a documentary in which we are watching the real person, and as unlikable as Rona can be sometimes (like most humans), we are absorbed in her struggle from the very beginning thanks to the star’s commitment.

This is Ronan’s film all the way, but she is ably supported by Essiedu as the boyfriend who is pushed to his limits of love and patience, and by veteran actors Reeves and Dillane as her two very different parents. Reeves as Rona’s mom Annie offers up what seems to be unconditional love but on her spiritual terms, while Dillane’s Andrew presents a nuanced portrait of a man who struggles to be his best self. The rest of the cast is a mix of professionals and locals from Papay, and they all have a rugged, weathered naturalism to them that effectively captures the spirit of living on the tiny, far-flung island.

Final Thoughts

Saoirse Ronan as Rona in ‘The Outrun’. Photo: Natalie Seery. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

‘The Outrun’ is a frequently moving film about just one person trying to reconnect with themselves and the world, and while Rona’s journey is singular to her, the film’s themes are universal to the human condition. Fingscheidt’s movie introduces us to a part of the world that’s both wide open to nature and curiously cut off, showing us how compassion, friendship, and empathy can find a home even in the most out-of-the-way places.

As we get into award season, we’d almost certainly bet money on Ronan being in the best actress Oscar mix, with nominations for cinematography, editing, score, and production design on the table as well. But the biggest victory for ‘The Outrun’ is the way it chronicles how one person can stop running and face their challenges head-on, and emerge a better human for it.

‘The Outrun’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.

The Outrun

R1 hr 58 minOct 4th, 2024

Showtimes & Tickets

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What is the plot of ‘The Outrun’?

A young woman (Saoirse Ronan) just out of rehab for alcoholism returns to her home in the Orkney Islands, off the coast of Scotland, where she strives to maintain her sobriety while coming to terms with the demons that led her into addiction.