In the past decade, Saoirse Ronan has established herself as one of the best actresses of her generation and she’s proven that’s true once again.
“The Outrun” is a drama inspired by the 2016 memoir of the same name written by Amy Liptrot. The central character in the film based on Liptrot is Rona (Ronan), a young woman who has fallen to rock bottom. Once a biology graduate student in London, Rona became an alcoholic, upending her life.
Her addiction deteriorated her relationships, her academic career and her path for the future. The film finds her trying to rehabilitate, moving back with her parents in the rural Northern Isles of Scotland in order to do so. The path forward, though, is a difficult one.
As hinted at in the lede, Ronan is spectacular in this film. In dramas like this there’s a tightrope to walk by the lead to ensure a character’s downward spiral is convincing without being over-dramatic, and Ronan really pulls it off in “The Outrun.”
At its best, this type of cinema can provide moving and insightful experiences. A character dealing with internal struggles such as mental illness, or in this case, addiction, can make for a captivating watch, and that’s especially true when the performance at the center is great. That’s the case here.
One just wishes the film was as good as Ronan’s performance. “The Outlaw” is an alright dramatization, but not a top tier one, for a couple of reasons. One, the film’s non-linear format makes the picture a bit difficult to tell when something is taking place.
It’s not a good thing when you’re a viewer trying to figure out when an event took place, and get confused in terms of how it fits in. Sometimes non-linear films include a counter graphic that shows what day the film is at. “500 Days of Summer” did this successfully, for example.
“The Outrun” actually has a similar counter, showing the number of days Rona is sober, but it only appears maybe three times at most. It could have been helpful to show it more. Simply put, “The Outrun” just needed to to build a better narrative bridge system between its past and present scenes for the audience.
Another issue with the picture is in its transitions. There are multiple moments where the film is moving to the next scene where Rona narrates bits of Scottish mythology about the northern Isles and the sea. The film never successfully connects these with Rona’s struggles or the story’s progression. So, while they offer some fascination, they are mostly out of place.
Again, that’s not to say that this film is poorly done. It’s hurt by not being a more tightly woven story, but it’s bolstered by its lead actress, as well as its visual look. Moments in the rural areas are gorgeously shot and capture the healing that can come from being in natural settings.
Having an Oscar-caliber actor carrying your flick is a big benefit, and it’s certainly the case with “The Outrun” It’s also fairly well made, though it could certainly be more coherent. Quite watchable and certainly good, but it leaves you wanting more. 3.75 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 
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