The Outrun is a 2024 drama film directed by Nora Fingscheidt from a screenplay she co-wrote with Amy Liptrot, and a story the two co-wrote with Daisy Lewis, based on the 2016 memoir of the same name by Liptrot. A co-production between the United Kingdom and Germany, it stars Saoirse Ronan, who also serves as a producer, along with Paapa Essiedu, Nabil Elouahabi, Izuka Hoyle, Lauren Lyle, Saskia Reeves, and Stephen Dillane in supporting roles.
| The Outrun | |
|---|---|
 UK theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Nora Fingscheidt |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by |
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| Based on | The Outrun by Amy Liptrot |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Yunus Roy Imer |
| Edited by | Stephan Bechinger |
| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | StudioCanal[1] |
Release dates |
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Running time | 118 minutes[2] |
| Countries | |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $4.1 million[5][6] |
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 19 January 2024. It was released by StudioCanal in the United Kingdom on 27 September 2024 and in Germany on 7 November.
Plot
editThe story is told in a non-linear fashion. Rona, a young woman recently out of rehab for alcoholism, returns home to the Orkney Islands in Scotland.[1][7] Her parents, originally from England, are separated. Staying with them alternately, she helps her father on his farm and meets her mother's religious friends. In flashbacks, we see Rona's previous life as a biology graduate student in London, finding freedom in clubbing and meeting a serious boyfriend, Daynin. However, Rona's drinking turns to alcoholism, causing problems in her relationship, and unintentional injury. Eventually, Daynin leaves her. One night, she is attacked while drunk. Soon afterwards, she enters rehab and completes a 90-day sober program.
Back on Orkney, Rona struggles to connect with others. She decides to return to London, but on the ferry, feels an overwhelming urge to drink, and abandons her plan to leave. She takes a job with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds which involves a systematic search for the now-rare corn crake, listening for its distinctive frog-like call. Rona's father has bipolar disorder, and when she comes across him in a depressive and non-responsive state, she takes a taste from his abandoned wineglass, leading to a brief relapse. Soon afterwards, Rona gets a job with the RSPB on the remote Papa Westray island, home to a tiny community. Living by herself, she connects with some of the other islanders, including a fellow alcoholic who runs the grocery. Throughout a windy winter on Papa Westray, she develops an interest in seaweed biology and grows healthier. As she prepares to depart that spring, she hears the call of a corn crake for the first time and laughs in delight.
Cast
edit- Saoirse Ronan as Rona
- Saskia Reeves as Annie
- Stephen Dillane as Andrew
- Scott Miller as young Andrew
- Lauren Lyle as Julie
- Paapa Essiedu as Daynin
- Izuka Hoyle as Gloria
- Eilidh Fisher as Evie
- Naomi Wirthner as Amanda
- Danyal Ismail as Pascal
- Posy Sterling as Rita
- Nabil Elouahabi as Samir
- Jack Rooke as Lukas
- Seamus Dillane as James
- Conrad Williamson as Jack
- Tony Hamilton as Gary
- Ammar Younis as Aahil
Production
editIn January 2022, it was announced Nora Fingscheidt would direct a film adaptation of Amy Liptrot's memoir The Outrun, with Saoirse Ronan set to star and produce, and Fingscheidt and Liptrot writing the screenplay.[7] Production commenced in Orkney in August 2022.[8] Ronan's husband, actor Jack Lowden, also served as one of the film's producers.[9] In an interview with The Times, Ronan credited Lowden for suggesting the role to her.[10]
Release
editStudioCanal is set to release the film in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Austria. The film is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United Kingdom on 27 September 2024, and later in Germany on 7 November. Protagonist Pictures is overseeing worldwide sales for the film, with CAA Media Finance also selling North American rights. The film was sold to Filmcoopi and Cineworx for Switzerland, Cinéart for Benelux and Stage 6 Films for all other international territories excluding North America.[1] On 12 July 2024, Stage 6 was announced to be partnering with sister company Sony Pictures Classics on the film's North American release, scheduling it for a theatrical release on 4 October 2024.[11]
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 19 January 2024.[3][4] It was also screened at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in the Panorama section,[12] the 77th Edinburgh International Film Festival[13] and the 2024 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival.[14]
Reception
editCritical response
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 82% of 114 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Benefiting from Saoirse Ronan's deeply committed performance in the central role, The Outrun proves a moving portrait of addiction in spite of its somewhat shapeless narrative."[15] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 73 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[16]
The Guardian's Adrian Horton termed it "a moving and delicate adaptation" that "avoid[ed] the many cliches of the cinematic memoir adaptation", and took particular note of "Ronan's good performance".[17] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Fingscheidt’s third narrative feature continues her visceral explorations of the scarred female psyche" and added that Ronan "puts herself through the physical and emotional wringer" in an "emotionally charged performance".[18]
Alissa Wilkinson in The New York Times writes that Saoirse Ronan's greatness as an actor is in giving viewers the feeling "that her characters' minds are always working", using her eyes and the slightest of facial expressions to convey, in the case of The Outrun, a cheeky "impishness". Far from the conventional screen handling of addiction, "brash or hyperbolic", Ronan makes the film "into a thing of beauty and hard-won joy."[19]
Accolades
edit| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin International Film Festival | 25 February 2024 | Panorama Audience Award for Best Feature Film | Nora Fingscheidt | Nominated | [20] [21] |
| Telluride Film Festival | 30 August 2024 | Silver Medallion | Saoirse Ronan | Won | [22] |
| Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival | 5 November 2024 | Best Actress | Won | [23][24] | |
| Best Film | The Outrun | Nominated | |||
| Gotham Awards | 2 December 2024 | Outstanding Lead Performance | Saoirse Ronan | Pending | [25] |
| British Independent Film Awards | 8 December 2024 | Best Lead Performance | Pending | [26] | |
| Best British Independent Film | The Outrun | Pending | |||
| Best Director | Nora Fingscheidt | Pending | |||
| Best Screenplay | Nora Fingscheidt and Amy Liptrot | Pending | |||
| Best Cinematography | Yunus Roy Imer | Pending | |||
| Best Editing | Stephen Bechinger | Pending | |||
| Best Make-Up & Hair Design | Kat Morgan | Pending | |||
| Best Original Music | John Gürtler and Jan Miserre | Pending | |||
| Best Sound | Dominik Leube, Oscar Stiebitz, Jonathan Schorr and Gregor Bonse | Pending |
References
edit- ^ a b c Ritman, Alex (1 November 2022). "AFM First Look: Saoirse Ronan in Adaptation of Best-Selling Memoir 'The Outrun' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ^ "The Outrun (15)". BBFC. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (6 December 2023). "Sundance Unveils Packed 2024 Lineup That Includes A.I., Pedro Pascal, Kristen Stewart, Satan, Devo & Steven Yeun". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ a b "The Outrun". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "The Outrun". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
- ^ "The Outrun – Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on 30 September 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ a b Yossman, K.J. (31 January 2022). "Saoirse Ronan Set to Star in Adaptation of Alcoholism Recovery Memoir 'The Outrun'". Variety. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ^ Flanagan, David (25 August 2022). "Excitement as film crew arrives in Orkney". Orkney.com. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ^ Hudgins, Ryan (15 September 2024). "Saoirse Ronan Explains How Husband Jack Lowden Persuaded Her to Take The Outrun Role". Us Weekly. ISSN 1529-7497. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
Ronan, who refers to her husband as 'comrade', gushed that she and Lowden have 'very high expectations for one another'. (The pair tied the knot in July.)
- ^ Butter, Susannah (15 September 2024). Gallagher, Tony (ed.). "Saoirse Ronan: 'I've seen people I love change because of addiction'". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
The actress says her role in The Outrun was cathartic. She and its author Amy Liptrot talk alcoholism, accents, and wild swimming.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (12 July 2024). "Sony Pictures Classics Sets October Release For Saoirse Ronan Addiction Drama 'The Outrun'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (14 December 2023). "Berlin: Saoirse Ronan, Danielle Deadwyler & Paapa Essiedu Titles Set For Panorama Sidebar". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ "Opening Night". Edinburgh International Film Festival. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
- ^ Heidi Ulrichsen, "Forget hockey rivalry: Sudbury’s Cinéfest 2024 showing love for North Bay". Sudbury.com, August 22, 2024.
- ^ "The Outrun". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
- ^ "The Outrun". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ Horton, Adrian (20 January 2024). "The Outrun review – Saoirse Ronan is remarkable in a sensitive recovery drama". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ Rooney, David (19 January 2024). "'The Outrun' Review: Saoirse Ronan Is a Turbulent Force as a Recovering Alcoholic Finding Strength in Nature". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ Wilkinson, Alissa (3 October 2024). "'The Outrun' Review: From Rock Bottom to Recovery". The New York Times.
- ^ "The Outrun". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "The Panorama Audience Awards". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ Keegan, Rebecca (29 August 2024). "Telluride Film Festival Unveils 2024 Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ Ellie, Calnan (6 November 2024). "Saoirse Ronan, 'La Cocina' among winners at Evolution Mallorca". Screen Daily. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM COMPETITION 2024". Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 7 November 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
- ^ Pond, Steve (29 October 2024). "'Anora' Leads Nominations for the 2024 Gotham Awards". TheWrap. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ "BIFA 2024 Nominations Announced · BIFA · British Independent Film Awards". BIFA · British Independent Film Awards. 5 November 2024. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
External links
edit- The Outrun at IMDb