EntertainmentMoviesDrama MoviesSaoirse Ronan’s new movie The Outrun is a painful, hopeful story of addiction and recovery rooted in a powerful true storyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentMoviesDrama MoviesSaoirse Ronan’s new movie The Outrun is a painful, hopeful story of addiction and recovery rooted in a powerful true storyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Studiocanal)
Big Screen SpotlightShining a light on the under-the-radar theatrical releases that you need to know about, with a new article every Friday
Big Screen Spotlight
Shining a light on the under-the-radar theatrical releases that you need to know about, with a new article every Friday
Shining a light on the under-the-radar theatrical releases that you need to know about, with a new article every Friday
Based on journalist and author Amy Liptrot’s 2016 memoir of the same name, the film follows Rona as she returns home to Orkney after completing an alcoholics' rehabilitation program in London. After difficult reunions with her well-meaning but emotionally distant parents, Rona decides to take a job with a bird conservation charity, before traveling further afield for a stint on Papa Westray, one of Orkney’s North Isles. Instead of losing herself in a bottle of vodka, Rona looks to lose herself in the wild waters of the North Atlantic Ocean.
The narrative dances between the present day on the bracing Scottish coastline and flashbacks to grimy Hackney bars, where Rona is just as often found collapsed on the bathroom floor as she is on the dancefloor, reminiscent of the way painful memories often resurface randomly. We watch as her addiction inflicts – sometimes irreparable – damage on herself, her postgraduate studies in biology, and her relationship with her boyfriend Daynin (Paapa Essiedu). It’s not an easy watch.
Solitude and superstition
(Image credit: Studiocanal)
While her mother’s praying may not have helped Rona, what does help – or begin to, anyway – is time, solitude, and the austere, beautiful landscapes of Orkney. The path to recovery isn’t straightforward or linear, which The Outrun recognizes through its narrative structure, and even through Rona’s movements throughout the film. She hops between islands and even bolts from a ferry back to the mainland at the last minute when the prospect of returning to London is too overwhelming. The movie is interspersed with facts and images about Orkney’s history and legends, too – it’s a place deeply rooted in mythology, from selkies to other superstitions.
Big Screen Spotlight(Image credit: Mubi)Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley’s new body horror is a fleshy commentary on societal pressures – and the most unique experience you’ll ever have in a theater
Big Screen Spotlight
(Image credit: Mubi)Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley’s new body horror is a fleshy commentary on societal pressures – and the most unique experience you’ll ever have in a theater
(Image credit: Mubi)
Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley’s new body horror is a fleshy commentary on societal pressures – and the most unique experience you’ll ever have in a theater
Holed up in a back-to-basics cottage on Papa Westray with only the techno music in her headphones and the sound of the waves breaking on the shore for company, Rona slowly begins to heal, despite what begins as a desperate need for connection: earlier in the film, she seeks out a stranger’s help to shield her cigarette from the wind while she lights it, and her hands lingers on top of his, to his discomfort. Later, she uses the internet to track the International Space Station in its orbit around the Earth, watching from her window and shedding a tear when it passes over Orkney. The Outrun’s characters start off orbiting each other at a distance, but that distance is necessary for Rona to heal – both herself and her frayed relationship with her mother. She has to make peace with herself to make peace with others.
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The Outrun is out now in theaters. For more on what to watch, check out the rest of ourBig Screen Spotlightseries.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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1
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2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3
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4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”