Synopsis:

DRAMA:

Rona (Saoirse Ronan), a recovering alcoholic, in this stunning adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s memoir of the same name, returns to her home, the Orkney Islands in Scotland, after hitting rock bottom in London.

The scenery is painted with the magnificent colours of nature and accented with Rona’s vivid hair changes – representing each stage of her journey. Flashbacks to her London past and the striking imagery of the Orkney Islands are juxtaposed against each other in a way that magnifies their differences.

Upon her return to Orkney, Rona finds it difficult to relate. She has had to deal with uncoordinated anarchy her whole life as we learn her father has bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The story wills us to question whether Rona will truly make it. Her reluctance to embrace anything pure can be sadly relatable, but her reconnection with her passion for biology provides hope.

The Outrun takes you through a whole journey that is treated with honesty and tenderness, never looking down on those who struggle. — Huia Haupapa