Film Review: THE OUTRUN (2024): Saoirse Ronan Conveys a Powerful On-Screen Character Transformation in a Slow-Moving Drama

The Outrun Review

The Outrun (2024) Film Review, a movie directed by Nora Fingscheidt, written by Amy Liptrot, Daisy Lewis and Nora Fingscheidt and starring Saoirse Ronan, Stephen Dillane, Saskia Reeves, Izuka Hoyle, Lauren Lyle, Paapa Essiedu, Naomi Wirthner, Danyal Ismail, Eilidh Fisher, Posy Sterling, Conrad Williamson and Tony Hamilton-Croft.

Filmmaker Nora Fingscheidt directs the formidable Saoirse Ronan in a powerful story of overcoming trauma and alcoholism, The Outrun. To get it out of the way first, this new picture moves very slow at times but it’s worth staying with it if you can make it past a few sluggish scenes that arise in the film’s nearly two-hour running time. Ronan is almost certain to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her very strong characterization in The Outrun. Although the character she plays, Rona, is hard to relate to and unlikable at times, there are very specific reasons for that. Ronan transforms before our eyes from an individual with dangerous addictions into a person who may be able to cope with her past by the time the movie concludes.

Rona, a student in London, suffers from her desires to constantly drink in pretty much every given circumstance. We meet her early in the film as she’s unemployed and in trouble. A woman helping her asks if mental illness runs in Rona’s family. It does. She has a mentally ill dad, Andrew (well played by Stephen Dillane). There are a number of factors which help contribute to the way Rona behaves throughout The Outrun. But, they end up worsening because of her drinking problem. This film shows her being followed by a car which suggests something bad happens to her but there are also other scenes of her being mistreated as well.

Paapa Essiedu portrays Daynin, Rona’s significant other. Essiedu adds a lot of depth to his character as Daynin tries to cope with the fact that it’s next to impossible to get Rona to stop drinking. She loves Daynin but he can only tolerate so much before he lets her go. When they reunite again later in the movie, Rona comes to discover what she’s lost because of her addiction. The film occasionally shows scenes of her surrounded by bottles and she is clearly in a hell-like state which she yearns to escape but can’t.

When Rona goes to the Orkney Islands of Scotland and Papa Westray, she must isolate herself in order to remain sober against the odds. There are storms and cold weather which challenge Rona’s lifestyle there but she fights to overcome the hardships she’s endured in her past in order to make a future for herself. Apparently, she’s very good at biology and, eventually, wants to study seaweed and thrive in doing things that are unique to her skill sets.

This film isn’t told in a straightforward fashion so it takes time to put all the pieces of it together. There are a few great scenes and many that move at a snail’s pace. This movie doesn’t seem to let the audience really grasp the character of Rona’s intentions early on. She develops more towards the end of the film as things start to get a little better for the character. She dreams of her hair being on fire and shares this fact with someone. She’s a very odd woman but by the film’s end, we understand her quirks. It seems like she’s a whole new person by the conclusion thanks to Ronan’s fierce and powerful performance.

Near the end is a perfect, poetic scene where Rona is “conducting” her life like a music composer would do for his or her work. This scene is absolutely the “piece de resistance” of the film. There are flashbacks integrated in these moments towards the end which help solidify the power of Ronan’s turn. These images help us realize the fact that overcoming addiction (and the trauma that derives from that addiction) is truly miraculous and can change a person’s outlook for the future and enhance one’s potential for success. It’s a wonderful sequence where Rona conducts her life on the beach and is worth sitting through the agony of some of the more difficult scenes that the picture portrays.

Holding this film all together is the director’s ability to create harrowing moments that make it look like Rona will face a dire fate. Hope and perseverance gets Rona through her turmoil as does the hard work of trying to say “no” to the bottle. When she meets an older alcoholic who has been sober for over a decade, Rona is inspired to keep fighting the fight to be free of her addiction once and, possibly, for all.

Ronan is surely worthy of an Oscar nomination for her emotionally charged performance in this picture. Her scenes with Paapa Essiedu, in particular, are excellent and the pair of performers create a relationship that is plausible with results that are ultimately heartbreaking to behold. In addition, Saskia Reeves as Annie, Rona’s religious mother, also adds able support to Ronan in a couple of key scenes. Even some cute sea animals help lighten things up a bit when things get gloomy in the film’s plot.

Ultimately, The Outrun is a difficult movie to watch. In the hands of a less seasoned performer than Ronan, Rona may have not been able to tolerate or understand as a character. In Ronan’s capable hands, a performance comes to life that is deep and worthy of serious year-end awards consideration. The Outrun is a strong effort that offers several rewards for those who manage to finish watching it.

Rating: 7.5/10

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