The Outrun
Directed by Nora Fingscheidt6.982%82%
After living life on the edge in London, Rona attempts to come to terms with her troubled past. She returns to the wild beauty of Scotland's Orkney Islands - where she grew up - hoping to heal. Adapted from the bestselling memoir by Amy Liptrot.
Where to Watch The Outrun
Cast of The Outrun
The Outrun Ratings & Reviews
- Kevin WardJuly 1, 2025The Outrun is a beautifully crafted adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s memoir, elevated by the remarkable performance of Saoirse Ronan. The film follows Rona, who returns to her childhood home on Orkney at thirty, still reeling from a period of self-destruction in London. Alcohol had become her anchor, pulling her deeper until she found herself back on the shores of the remote islands she had once longed to escape. I was initially leery of the film's non-linear structure. It’s a narrative structure that is often used purely to withhold a dramatic twist—a sudden revelation from the past that recontextualizes everything that precedes it. Fortunately, that isn't the case here. Instead, the fragmented storytelling mirrors the reflective style of a memoir, with memories drifting in and out as Rona slowly reconciles her troubled past with her present efforts to heal. We follow her through a daily rhythm of cold morning plunges into the North Sea, where the frigid water jolts her awake, and long days spent volunteering with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, observing Orkney’s unique wildlife and surveying the endangered corncrake intercut with flashbacks of her blackout drunken nights at the London clubs, always returning back to the powerful serenity of Orkney. It’s a contemplative portrait of the long road to recovery. Aesthetically, the coastal landscapes are stunning and reflective of the peaceful, meditative tone. There's no rush toward a destination, just Rona coming to grips with her addiction and discovering how to live in recovery. Saoirse Ronan is revelatory…again. Her performance subtly shifts depending on where we are in Rona’s journey, with minor changes in her posture and expressions conveying the ebb and flow of addiction. The film invites the audience to sit with Rona’s moments of pain, healing, and clarity as if standing with her at the cliff's edge, gazing out at the sea stacks. It’s a mood piece, for sure. But if the mood strikes you, you might just be swept away by Ronan’s performance and the raw beauty of the Scottish Isles.
- bluriJune 23, 2025Stream of consciousness narrative that you have to let go of yourself and go with the flow. Saoirse Ronan made an effort getting into the role of an alcoholic young woman struggling to get back on her feet after a series of mishaps. I thought of my niece who’s just finishing high school and getting ready to enter university with a whole adult life in front of her, because she's currently my closest point of reference. There are so many different ways a young life can get derailed, especially if there’s a history of mental illness or addiction in the family, as in the case of this character. It’s a cliche for a reason that one has to hit rock bottom to get a wake-up call and take a serious look at oneself. She gets help along the way, but the majority of the work is on her alone. The pacing is consistent from the get-go, so it will become clear very fast if you’re in the mood for it. The pacing has a kind of esoteric feel to it. Lots of close-ups and nature shots reflecting the character’s inner turbulence. There’s always a light at the end of a tunnel if you’re willing to put in the work.
- Matthias_812April 2, 2025Saoirse Ronan as an alcoholic. Really was just too bland and anticlimactic for me to care about. Told in a sort of non-linear structure with MAYBE a tinge of Terrence Malick's style though that's probably giving The Outrun too much praise. Ronan laid out a respectable vulnerable performance and the shots of the island were remarkable, we've seen this story a hundred times in much better ways.
- michael.r10November 17, 2024Spot on performance by one our best young actors.
