The Outrun

Written & Directed by: Nora Fingscheidt

Written by: Amy Liptrot & Daisy Lewis

Rona (Saoirse Ronan) is young and smart, a girl from The Orkney Islands, living in London. She has a boyfriend, Daynin (Paapa Essiedu), but she also has an alcohol addiction. As the addiction gets increasingly out of control, her life unravels. Eventually she returns home to escape the constant temptation that London presents. The film follows her attempts to reconnect with her life, her parents (Stephen Dillane & Saskia Reeves) and to control her addiction in the wild beauty of her home.

Based on Amy Liptrot’s book of the same name. The Outrun is a grown up look at the destructive nature of addiction and mental illness. It mostly focuses on Rona’s current battle, but tells the story of her addiction and unravelling through a series of flashbacks.  While it’s by no means an easy watch, it is the compelling performance by Saoirse Ronan that keeps this a compelling and absorbing watch.

Often the issue with films like this is those suffering with addiction can be difficult to feel for, but here Rona, is a character that you believe in and care about. It’s never melodramatic, it’s always subtle and believable and the performance drags you in, you feel the mania of her life, the desperation of her addiction and the pressure she feels. Alongside the difficulty of her relationship with her parents that she has to navigate.

Equally important to the story is the landscape. The wilds of The Orkney’s are used to mirror Rona’s life and challenges, windswept, turbulent, isolated and lonely. But it’s not relentlessly grim, it has moments of humour, love and hope. And while it’s a hard watch, and runs a touch long it treats its difficult subject matter with care.

The Outrun is not an “enjoyable” watch. It’s a tough look at addiction and mental health. But in Saoirse Ronan’s, Rona, it is anchored around a character you care about and want to see overcome her helplessness and desperation. But it’s not endlessly grim, it gives you hope and humour. It’s not a light film but a worthwhile one.