The Outrun, directed by Nora Fingscheidt, follows the struggles of 30-year-old Rona (Saoirse Ronan), as she attempts to overcome her alcoholism. Set between the bustling, chaotic city of London and the beautiful, solitude of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, Fingscheidt tells the memoir of Amy Liptrop (Rona), and takes audiences along this journey of self-acceptance, struggle and love.
Ronan stuns in her performance as Rona. She truly is a marvel on the screen. Her journey toward alcoholism is a slippery slope, as we see her fall into similar habits, even after nearly 150 days sober. The film jumps between time: Rona in London, completing her masters, falling into alcoholism, and then Rona in the present, in Orkney, overcoming her addiction.
In London, we witness Rona at her worst. Her addiction sabotages her relationships and harms her in many ways. Some scenes are painful to watch; Fingscheidt is not afraid to illustrate the harsh reality of Rona’s life.
Amidst all this pain, we do witness Rona fall in love. Daynin (Paapa Essiedu) is a good soul, and Essiedu portrays him with passion and thought. After a particularly disturbing and, honestly terrifying, scene where Rona ends up in the hospital, the cinema audibly gasped when Daynin showed up at the hospital to comfort her, even after a brutal breakup. The love between them is pure and true, but, ultimately, it cannot survive the addiction.
Rona visits her family back in Orkley, she is now nearly 150 days sober, we see her dynamic with her divorced parents. Her mother turned to religion to combat the trauma of her marriage, while her husband falls in and out of manic episodes. It seems that Rona is constantly tittering on the edge between them, stepping on eggshells, frustrated with them all.
Tragically, we see her relapse in Orkney, and the scene between her and her mum (Saskia Reeves) mirrors the breaking point between Rona and her boyfriend, Daynin (Paapa Essiedu). These emotive scenes are gut-wrenching and completely raw, as Ronan pours her heart and soul into her acting.
Throughout The Outrun, Rona has this connection to nature. The film opens with a beautiful wide shot of the Orkney islands and a seal swimming. Rona believes she can control the weather, and this connection mirrors her father’s belief that he controlled the wind.
Rona’s dad suffers with bipolar disorder, and when he is swallowed by his manic-depressive episodes, there is a barrier between Rona and her father. The emotional blockage between them is somewhat overcome by their dual belief in the power of the natural world.
For most of the film, Rona walks along the Orkney coast, above the crashing waves, but wears headphones with intense techno music, blocking out the sound. This is symbolic of how she distances herself from the natural world, but also from the feelings that come along with it. She continues to isolate herself, believing her addiction is all-consuming.
Ronan stuns in her performance as Rona. She truly is a marvel on the screen.
So when, in the final act, she takes off the headphones and hears the crashing waves for the first time, there is hope for a true recovery. She breaks that barrier, and, instead, submerges herself, quite literally, in the cold water. In a heartfelt moment between Rona and her mother, Rona takes her mother cold water swimming too. This moment of pure joy is hard hitting, but it offers a chance for their relationship to be cleansed.
In this film centred around realism, the natural world proves to be an extraordinary beauty. It acts as a character in itself, as its relationship with all the characters, particularly Rona, is truly significant. It moves, it screams, and it lives, just like Rona. If you want to see a film that is emotionally charged, real and raw, then go and see The Outrun. It is a harrowing journey, but ultimately it shows that you cannot outrun where you came from, and you will always be drawn to your home – you just have to be prepared to listen.
