The Outrun
A recovering London biologist returns to Orkney, where stark landscapes and family turbulence test her fragile attempt to reclaim sobriety.
Overview
A journey of healing unfolds against the breathtaking backdrop of Scotland's Orkney Islands.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- visceral
- intimate
- quiet evening
- reflective weekend
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a moving, visually striking and unsentimental addiction drama elevated by Saoirse Ronan’s emotionally charged performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Rona leaves London and returns to Orkney, using the island’s natural environment as a setting for sobriety and self-reckoning.
The story threads Rona’s London past and Orkney present together, gradually exposing the causes of her predicament.
Rona’s troubled inner life is expressed through physical and emotional strain, guarded reactions, and impulsive behavior.
The film moves between Rona’s turbulent London life and the wild beauty of Scotland’s Orkney Islands.
Films like The Outrun, and why
Rachel Getting Married
intimate addiction-recovery drama centered on a woman returning home and confronting trauma
To Leslie
female-led psychological drama combining addiction, family rupture, and emotionally raw performance
Wild
slow-burn recovery story shaped by landscape, isolation, and hard-won renewal
Shame
visceral portrait of a scarred woman rebuilding her life through difficult self-confrontation
Movie Details
- Director
- Nora Fingscheidt
- Release Date
- 2024-01-19
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (379)
Cast
- Saoirse Ronan
- Paapa Essiedu
- Nabil Elouahabi
- Izuka Hoyle
- Lauren Lyle
- Stephen Dillane
- Saskia Reeves
- Naomi Wirthner
- Tony Hamilton-Croft
- Posy Sterling
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Outrun about?
- A recovering London biologist returns to Orkney, where stark landscapes and family turbulence test her fragile attempt to reclaim sobriety.
- What is The Outrun like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Outrun as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Outrun violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Outrun as mild.
- What did critics think of The Outrun?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a moving, visually striking and unsentimental addiction drama elevated by Saoirse Ronan’s emotionally charged performance.
- Which films are like The Outrun?
- Films with a similar feel include Rachel Getting Married, To Leslie, Wild, and Shame.
- How long is The Outrun?
- The Outrun runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Outrun?
- In United States, The Outrun is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
