In The Outrun, Saoirse Ronan has fun drinking and partying—never mind that she is a severe alcoholic and addict. Based on a memoir that is most likely a fascinating read, The Outrun is a perfectly fine and perfectly forgettable examination of trauma and overcoming troubled pasts.
Ronan is one of my favorite actresses, and one can see why she was drawn to this film. It checks the right boxes—opportunity for drama, opportunity for riveting acting—and its setting of small-town Scotland holds some allure.
But The Outrun doesn’t really give us anything new. Stories about addiction and recovery, as important and personal to the subject at hand, tend to have repetitive rhythms when put into narrative form; The Outrun feels repetitive. Unnecessary.
Ronan is good of course, though among her most memorable performances this one won’t stand out—no fault to her, but the movie simply doesn’t demand enough of her. The role doesn’t stand out. She wraps herself in it and gives it her all nonetheless.
The Outrun is perfectly fine and perfectly forgettable. Well made and at times raw, its biggest failure is that it doesn’t bring anything new to the table—it’s a personal story that entirely establish why it deserves big screen treatment.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.