The Outrun – Review by Daniel Rester
Many powerful dramas have revolved around alcoholics. The Lost Weekend (1945), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), and Leaving Las Vegas (1995) come to mind as being some of the best. The Outrun is the latest character study of a heavy drinker, and while it doesn’t quite rank with the aforementioned all-timers, it is still quite effective and features one of the finest performances of 2024.
That performance comes from Saoirse Ronan, who plays Rona. She’s a young woman with a master’s degree in biology and a passion for studying nature, but her addiction stands in her way. The film, which is based on Amy Liptrot’s 2016 memoir, cuts between Rona’s boozy and dangerous lifestyle in London with her boyfriend Daynin (Paapa Essiedu) and her recovery days on the Orkney Islands of Scotland. On the sodden islands, she is challenged by her mother’s religious obsessions and her father’s bipolar disorder.
Rona is a fascinating character. She’s seen as greatly intelligent and full of potential, but also damaged from her skin to her soul. At her lowest she is assaulted and left with a puffy black eye, and yet she still suggests drinking afterward before eventually seeking rehab. She never reaches her best in The Outrun, but there are glimmers of hope as her recovery moves forward and she strives to rebuild herself. The film also includes interesting details about birds and seaweed as Rona finds her path in her love of biology.
This character is brought to life by a tremendous performance from Ronan, who feels raw and real at every moment. She has proven herself to be one of the finest actresses of her generation in projects like Brooklyn (2015), Lady Bird (2017), and Little Women (2019). The Outrun can be added to the list of her best performances, and in a just world she will get an Oscar nomination for her work in it in the coming months.
Many of the scenes in The Outrun don’t last longer than thirty seconds to a minute, which may bug some viewers. Director Nora Fingscheidt is more focused on little moments and emotion here than a more standard structure. The film constantly hops between different time periods in Rona’s life, with her hair color changes being the only markers to let us know where we are with her.
The non-linear approach can be jarring at times, but Fingscheidt’s hold on the tone, cinematographer Yunus Roy Imer’s smooth shots, and editor Stephan Bechinger’s fluid cutting give The Outrun a poetic feel. Ronan’s silky narration over certain segments and John Gürtler and Jan Miserre’s beautiful music score add to the film’s rhythm too. At times the craftsmanship feels like it has the grace of a Terrence Malick picture.
The Outrun is messy at times and perhaps 15 to 20 minutes could have been shaved off of it; a few of the sections do feel repetitive, especially with the club scenes in London. However, it’s a poignant and thoughtful study of an alcoholic by Fingscheidt. She gets a remarkable performance out of her leading lady too, one that shouldn’t be missed.
My Grade: 8.3/10 (letter grade equivalent for me: A-)
Running Time: 1 hour and 58 minutes
The Outrun is in select theaters now.
