For a first-time feature director to focus on a story that is inspired by true events is a bold choice, but Nora Fingscheidt is up to the task. With an exceptional performance by Saoirse Ronan and a stunning grasp on interiority and visual poetry, The Outrun is a wonderful feature debut that could have been elevated further by stronger form. Despite its occasional stumbling blocks, the director, who co-wrote the screenplay with Amy Liptrot, the author of the novel the film it’s based on, has a clear vision and a good instinct for storytelling.

The Outrun Is Poetic Storytelling

Through close-ups, Nora Fingscheidt brings us into Rona’s inner world and thoughts. The nonlinear storytelling acts as though we are exploring Rona’s jumbled mind and memories, revealing what led her to return to live with her mother and work on her father’s farm. The Outrun oscillates between Rona’s time in London and Scotland’s Orkney Islands, in and out of Rona’s drunken moments, her time in rehab, and the deterioration of her relationship with boyfriend Daynin (Paapa Essiedu). It gives you a good sense of Rona’s life and struggles, though it requires some patience.

Often, the film feels like a painting. The cinematography captures the most gorgeous parts of nature — waves ferociously splashing against rocks, and seals sweetly calling back to Ronan as she swims near them. The film is astute in creating a balance between Ronan and the nature that surrounds her, as she finds her way back to herself through it. Whether it’s animals or the wind or the sea, Ronan doesn’t feel as lost when she is among them, and the film is gentle, almost poetic, in its exploration of her personal journey and its ties to listening to her surroundings.

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However, the film can be somewhat tedious at times, and its structure could have benefited with a stronger core. It isn’t until the final 15 or 20 minutes that the film finds its footing in the direction it’s trying to take Ronan, and if it had gotten there a bit sooner, it wouldn’t have felt like the story was more prolonged than it needed to be. At nearly two hours long, this becomes an issue as the film gets lost in a cycle of relentless misery. Despite this, Fingscheidt generally has a firm grasp of the ending and Ronan’s journey.

Saoirse Ronan’s Performance Is Powerful & Emotional

To that end, Saoirse Ronan gives another strong performance. The actress has incredible emotional range, and she can easily shift from a joyous moment to a solemn one. In her hands, Ronan feels fully formed, someone whose struggles require the utmost empathy. She is a force, able to convey the anger and hurt that she feels, and hurls at others in equal measure, as well as the quiet contemplation she experiences throughout. Essiedu is also a standout, though he gets far less for obvious reasons. And yet, in his brief time onscreen, he’s incredibly expressive, every glance weighted and meaningful.

The movie shifts effortlessly between one point in time and another, and it’s superb at digging into Ronan’s internal struggle and the emotions that come with them. A bit of trimming could have done the pacing a lot of good, especially as it traps itself in Ronan’s continued and unresolved issues. But perhaps that is the point in the end, with Fingscheidt and Liptrot delivering a nuanced understanding of addiction and the hold it has on Ronan.

With a powerful central performance and an occasionally chaotic but nonetheless captivating and moving narrative — helped along by fantastic editing and cinematography — The Outrun is a detailed film strengthened by its connection to nature’s beauty and belonging to it.

The Outrun is now playing in theaters. The film had its premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. It’s 118 minutes long and rated R for language and brief sexuality.