Saoirse Ronan’s new film The Outrun is building Oscar buzz following rave first reviews.
Directed by Nora Fingscheidt and adapted from Amy Liptrot’s 2016 memoir of the same name, The Outrun tells the story of a young woman named Rona who, after finishing rehab for alcoholism, returns home to the Orkney Islands in Scotland in an attempt to stay sober.
Critics have heavily praised the film, with Ronan’s performance being described as “mesmerising” and “sensational”.
In a four-star review, The Guardian‘s Peter Bradshaw wrote: “In every shot and every scene, mostly in closeup, Ronan carries the film with her unselfconsciously fierce and focused presence. Out-of-control-drunk acting in montage is a difficult thing to bring off – as is the representation of precarious sobriety – but she does it with intelligence and plausibility.”
The Independent‘s Clarisse Loughrey also gave the film four stars, writing: “The Outrun’s true tether is Ronan, and here she works to all her greatest strengths. The film wraps entirely around her, yet she’s far too honest an actor to ever play up to the audience’s expectations of a woman in crisis.”
In Little White Lies‘ gushing review, Katherine McLaughlin praised Fingscheidt for balancing the film with humour and “magnificent detail. The way in which she portrays the AA community of the Orkney Islands, all older men sporting chunky knits nestled beside a tiny young woman, stands out in its depiction of intimacy and vulnerability.”
iNews, meanwhile, suggested that The Outrun could see Ronan finally clinch her first Oscar. “She is astonishing in this role, able to harness both fragility and determination in equal measure. She dances alone as if exorcising demons from her body, pretends to conduct waves on the beach with unparalleled joy.
“Could this be the film Ronan finally wins an Oscar for? She would certainly be a worthy winner. Hers is a full-body performance: Rona is as effervescent even in sobriety as the magnificent wilderness she has chosen as her remedy.”
The Outrun is in UK cinemas from September 27.
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