The Outrun

If you are fan of the very adaptable Saoirse Ronan then you'll probably love this - she throws just about everything into the role of "Rona". She has returned to her mother's home in Orkney to recover from a fairly torrid time of booze and drugs in London. The timelines are threaded together to drip feed us the causes of her current predicament whilst looking at her own efforts to get - and stay - clean. Of course, there are domestic issues at home too with her father suffering from bi-polar disorder and her mother having turned to religion which add to the turbulence of her life. In the end, she takes a job working on a remote island for the RSPB trying to find an example of the once plentiful but now rare corn crake. With the weather closing in on her small cottage and her determined to get well again despite the familial pressures, the woman has her work cut out for her. Can she stay the course or is a relapse inevitable? It is a strong effort from Ronan here, and Andrew Dillane also delivers quite effectively as her dad - especially once the film has got up an head of steam and the characters more fully develop. The photography of this sometimes beautiful and other times bleak environment adds really well to the overarching sense of the claustrophobic as the story plays out. Her self-imposed isolation flying in the face of her naturally more gregarious personality. It doesn't try to reinvent the wheel when it comes to the treatment techniques and struggles involved here, but it does provide us with a powerfully character-led drama that must have cost a fortune in hair dye and doesn't offer any rose-tinted solutions.

The Outrun is a deeply moving British psychological drama directed by Nora Fingscheidt in 2024. Set against the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of an isolated island, the film tells the story of a young woman struggling to navigate the tumultuous path between the pull of alcohol addiction and her desperate yearning for recovery.

The movie's visual storytelling is mesmerizing, capturing the raw beauty of the island as a metaphor for the protagonist's internal battle. The juxtaposition of breathtaking landscapes with moments of profound despair adds a layer of emotional depth to the narrative.

What sets The Outrun apart is its ability to portray addiction not just as a personal struggle but as a complex, multifaceted experience shaped by environment, relationships, and inner conflict. The protagonist's journey is neither romanticized nor simplified; it's real, painful, and ultimately, hopeful.

Fingscheidt's direction ensures that every scene resonates emotionally, making it more than just a film-it's an experience. For anyone drawn to stories of resilience, self-discovery, and redemption, The Outrun is a must-see. It leaves you reflecting long after the credits roll.

The film does something that not a lot of films do; it isolates and creates a metaphor in the scenery. The personalities of the actors / actresses are flawless; i.e. Gaining character and momentum as the film moved in turn. Conceptually; It runs deep. You know or don't...the plot was in reverse as soon as it was set in motion. Rona was chasing. She was chasing a life that was hers. The lining of gray rain and clear raindrops only saddened the scene; cars and planes included. It was the largest blessing for the protagonist. Bleak, desolate visions and thoughts of " bird calls. " Excitement was there. Recalling the vivid techno moments, she embraced. She learned to cope and not cope with withdrawals, seemingly and with volition. The acting and portrayals was spot on. Every turn had a sequence. Regardless, the film is pinnacle at finding isolation and making the best; mockery and joke or serious and real.

A beautiful film with some fantastic acting, particularly from Ronan. At times, I was a little lost in what was going on to begin with, but that resolved itself for me as the film went on; I believe that that was a deliberate reflection of the confusion and displacement felt by Rona, the main character. Others may not agree with my 9 rating, but I have read and enjoyed the book 3 times now and I think that doing so helped me enjoy the film. I feel that this is a fine distillation of the human story in the book into a near 2hr movie. The focus is on the battle with alcoholism being fought by Rona and because of that, the much more extensive portayal of Orkney and its natural environment in the book was necessarily significantly reduced. A beautiful film that requires concentration.

Greetings again from the darkness. The best movies revolving around alcoholism usually make us feel like we are intruding on someone's personal train wreck. Three that come to mind, each resulting in at least one Oscar, are LEAVING LAS VEGAS (1995), DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES (1962), and THE LOST WEEKEND (1945). This one is based on the 2016 memoir by Amy Liptrot, who also adapted the book for the screen with director Nora Fingscheidt (known for her festival favorite SYSTEM CRASHER, 2019).

Having already been nominated for four Oscars, there is little debate that Saoirse Ronan is one of the top actors of her generation. And this may be her best performance yet. As Rona, she captures the quiet desperation and loneliness that isn't always so quiet. We see Rona as the unemployed, Masters-degreed, sloppy drunk party girl. We see her as the drunken victim of sexual violence. We see her as the next-day apologetic drunk who destroys a relationship. We see her in rehab and attending AA meetings. We see her relapse. We see her strained parental relations, and we see her in near isolation in hopes of kicking an addiction that she's not even sure she wants to kick. It's heartbreaking when she admits, "I can't be happy sober." We feel for those who have experienced this with loved ones.

Living in London, Rona is all about the excitement and energy of dancing and partying and socializing ... and drinking. She says she likes how it makes her feel, ignoring the next day misery and regret. Her boyfriend, Daynin (Paapa Esiedu) is supportive and understanding, right up until the point where he's had too much of her self-destructive ways. Rona finally accepts rehab and after 90 days, she heads home to Orkney - a sparsely populated archipelago off the north coast of Scotland. Rona's parents are divorced. Her mom (Saskia Reeves) has turned to religion, while her bipolar dad (Stephen Dilane) lives in a caravan and works his sheep farm on his good days. The desolate environment lacks the constant temptations of London (though she still finds a few), and Rona hopes time in Orkney will be restorative to her health and spirit.

Filmmaker Fingscheidt makes some interesting choices. The film jumps around in time with Rona's flashbacks to moments in her past - some going back to childhood. This jumping around reflects the mental struggles she goes through in her quest for sobriety. There is also a substantial amount of science and nature included. In voiceover, Rona details the specifics of addictive drinking, as well as the mythology of seals and selkies. Saoirse Ronan is superb throughout, yet two scenes stood out for me. The first is when she meets a stranger on the street, displaying her desperation for companionship and socialization. The second comes when she explains to her mother how seaweed is her new passion (her new addiction?) and is her focus for the future.

The only thing close to being as photogenic as Saoirse Ronan is the coastal Scottish landscape. It's both breathtaking for us and claustrophobic at times for Rona as she fights the urges. Rona's job with RSPB had me doing a quick Google search for endangered Corncrakes, and though most of the film left me emotionally drained, watching Rona 'conduct the ocean' provided a welcome jolt of joy.

Opens in theaters on October 4, 2024.