There’s something quietly striking about The Outrun, a film that doesn’t follow a neat path or offer easy answers, instead unfolding in fragments, memories, and moments that feel as unpredictable as the person at its centre. Adapted from The Outrun by Amy Liptrot, and directed by Nora Fingscheidt, it tells a story of addiction and recovery that is as tough and unflinching as the landscape it’s set against.
A story shaped by place and memory
The film follows Rona (Saoirse Ronan), a young woman returning home to Orkney after a period of alcohol addiction that has left much of her life in pieces. Having spent years in London caught in a cycle of excess and self-destruction, she returns to the islands in search of something steadier, though what that looks like isn’t always clear. What sets The Outrun apart is how it tells that story. Rather than moving in a straight line, it drifts between past and present, cutting between Rona’s chaotic life in London and her quieter, more isolated existence back home. The result is something that feels closer to memory than narrative, where moments bleed into each other and recovery never feels like a simple, upward climb.
A performance that carries everything
Saoirse Ronan is exceptional here, delivering a performance that feels completely lived-in. She captures both extremes of Rona’s experience, the volatile, out-of-control moments of addiction and the quieter, more fragile attempts at sobriety, without ever making either feel overstated. There’s a physicality to her performance that makes it especially convincing, from the restless energy of her nights in London to the stillness of her time on the islands. It’s not an easy role, but Ronan makes it feel instinctive, pulling you into Rona’s world in a way that’s difficult to shake.
The pull of the landscape
Orkney is not presented as a simple place of healing. It’s beautiful, undeniably, but also harsh, remote, and at times isolating, with wide open skies, rolling seas, and landscapes that feel both vast and exposed. The wind never really lets up, the ocean feels constant, and there’s a quiet intensity to the islands that shapes the entire mood of the film. There’s a tension between nature as something restorative and something equally overwhelming. The islands offer space and stillness, but they also leave nowhere to hide, forcing Rona to confront herself in a way she can’t avoid. It’s not an escape, but a different kind of challenge, one that feels just as demanding as the life she’s left behind.
There’s something particularly striking about seeing this part of Scotland on screen in this way, not softened or romanticised, but shown in all its raw, unpredictable beauty.
A story that resists easy answers
The film also explores Rona’s relationships, particularly with her parents, without leaning too heavily on explanation. Her father’s struggles with bipolar disorder and her mother’s turn towards religion sit quietly in the background, shaping her understanding of herself without ever being fully resolved. Similarly, her relationship with Daynin (Paapa Essiedu) is felt more in fragments than in full, a reminder of what addiction can erode rather than something the film tries to neatly repair. What The Outrun understands is that recovery is rarely straightforward. It’s messy, uneven, and often uncertain, and the film reflects that in both its structure and tone.
CultureCues Standout Moment
One of the most powerful moments comes when Rona stands out on the edge of the land, facing the crashing waves, a place where everything feels exposed and unfiltered. It’s not framed as a dramatic breakthrough, but something quieter, a moment of stillness where everything she’s been carrying seems to meet the landscape around her. There’s a sense of release in it, but also uncertainty, which feels true to the film as a whole. It’s not about everything being fixed, but about finding a way to keep going.
Final thoughts
The Outrun is not always an easy watch, but it is a deeply affecting one. It’s thoughtful, at times uncomfortable, and often quietly beautiful, anchored by a performance from Saoirse Ronan that feels among her best. Rather than offering a clear resolution, the film lingers in the in-between, where progress is uncertain and healing is ongoing. It’s that honesty that makes it stand out, and what makes it stay with you long after it ends.
The Outrun arrived in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 27 September 2024.