‘The Outrun’ is a complex yet beautiful adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s memoir by the same name. Unlike many stories portraying the battles of addiction in a linear fashion, the film shows it exactly as it is, not only how it affects Rona, the protagonist of the story, but also those around her – this is less so a story of ‘ups and downs’ but a story of struggle and hope.
As many would know, I am a massive fan of Saoirse Ronan, I will show up for whatever she does but I truly think we see her at her best in this role. She captures every tiny feeling and emotion so perfectly and with care, which really had me feeling all the emotions at basically every point of the film. Also the fact she delivered 7 lambs to prepare for the role shows how she is willing to put her all into it and it really shows. Alongside Ronan, there is a wonderful supporting cast with Saskia Reeves and Stephen Dillane as her complex but loving parents and Paapa Essiedu as Daymin, all playing very necessary parts to Rona’s story.
Casting aside, the visually storytelling in ‘The Outrun’ is something I haven’t really seen before, alongside the narrative parts spoken by Rona, the visual aspects move the story along but importantly give us an insight into the protagonists mind. Thought are complex, especially for those with internal battles but I think it was done in such a tasteful way where the audience can follow along but also empathise with the character and her story, and her story alone. There is one specific scene towards the end that gave me goosebumps and has stuck with me since, it’s a beautiful crescendo of her story leading up to now and it was a flawless conclusion to those chapters of her life.
To summarise, if you can see ‘The Outrun’ I would really recommend it, whilst enjoyable I feel it’s also necessary, films that can portray real life struggles in a way that is as complex as they are but also for an audience to be able to digest are sometimes hard to come by, but Nora Fingscheidt nailed it.
Trailer:
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