The Outrun (2024)
Directed by: Nora Fingscheidt
Premise: A woman (Saoirse Ronan) struggling with sobriety relocates to Scotland’s Orkney Islands to sort out her life.
What Works: The Outrun is a movie about an alcoholic’s struggle for sobriety and her efforts to rebuild a life that’s been derailed by addiction. Rona, played by Saoirse Ronan, was previously a graduate student living in London until alcoholism got the better of her. She has relocated to Scotland’s Orkney Islands where Rona is caught between her divorced parents; her father is bipolar and her mother is religious and neither parent offers a space in which Rona can be at ease. She opts for isolation while assisting with a search for the rare corn crake bird. In her isolation, Rona finally confronts her past, which is presented in flashbacks, and rediscovers a sense of self. Alcoholism is not an unusual topic in motion pictures but The Outrun finds a specific angle. Rona is alone for much of the movie and The Outrun dramatizes the process of learning to be still and to live with one’s self. It’s the quiet moments that are really impactful as Rona spends her time isolated and in nature where she confronts her desire for alcohol. The filmmakers effectively convey the addict’s perpetual thirst and the ongoing struggle of sobriety. The flashbacks to Rona’s drunken episodes are done quite well with visual techniques that simulate intoxication and the hazy way those events are recalled. Rona’s life in the Orkney Islands has a beautiful naturalism; it’s rough and cold but there is a beauty in its sparsity. Saoirse Ronan is great in the lead role. Rona is at times a difficult person but there is a soulfulness to Ronan’s performance.
What Doesn’t: The plotting of The Outrun is presented out of sequence. It is sometimes unclear how one scene relates to the others and where specific moments fall in the timeline. As a result, various parts of The Outrun don’t quite fit together. It plays as a disjointed collection of scenes. The fractured nature of the storytelling fits the subject matter; as a recovering alcoholic, Rona’s past is a blur and the construction of the story reflects this. However, there are gaps in the storytelling, especially in Rona’s relationship with her former fiancé and to her parents. These parts of the film feel incomplete and the family relationships are left unresolved.
Bottom Line: The Outrun’s narrative shortcomings are mostly eclipsed by its vivid sense of place and depth of character. It’s a generally fresh take on the alcoholism story with a great performance by Saoirse Ronan and a quietly affecting visual style.
Episode: #1023 (November 17, 2024)