IronWatcher’s review published on Letterboxd:
Watched in the cinema (186th visit in 2024)
After her sensational feature film debut "Systemsprenger", all doors seemed to be open to German director Nora Fingscheidt. And so she took the plunge into Hollywood with her second feature film "The Unforgivable". The Netflix production about a woman released from prison boasted an impressive cast, including Sandra Bullock in the lead role. The streaming figures were also impressive. However, the reviews were sobering and the German high was followed by an international crash. It was therefore not really clear what to expect from the third film, "The Outrun", in which, unlike the second film, she was again involved in the screenplay. Whether this is the reason why the quality is better again is debatable. But after the disappointing predecessor, this one is at least worth seeing again.
However, the story is not based on the German filmmaker. Instead, it is based on the autobiographical book of the same name by Amy Liptrot. The award-winning Scottish journalist, who wrote the screenplay with Fingscheidt, records her experiences as an alcoholic. These are not really any different to those familiar from other films on the subject. "The Outrun" is full of scenes in which the protagonist loses control, destroys everything and pushes the people close to her away. However, the drama does not depict these scenes in chronological order. Instead, the film constantly jumps through time, sometimes in London, sometimes with her parents, sometimes in the remote cottage in the Scottish wasteland. There is no real concept to be discerned in the choice of scenes, probably following the erratic nature of memories that make their way back into Rona's consciousness.
This can be confusing, especially at the beginning when you have no idea who these people are. The occasional scientific insertions are also somewhat irritating, which are probably intended as a contrast to the irrationality and emotional chaos. The alcoholic scenes are the less interesting passages. Although they are sometimes intense, they are somehow interchangeable. "The Outrun" is more exciting when it comes to the family history and we learn more about the parents. Both the bipolar father, who has lapses or sometimes lies phlegmatically on the sofa, and the mother, who found her salvation in prayer after years of misfortune, have emotional moments. The scenes when Rona finds access to others also touch the heart.
This is also worth seeing because of the excellent cast. Of course, Saoirse Ronan is the figurehead, but she can rely on the support of the rest of the ensemble. And then there are the stunning shots of the rugged Scottish islands, sometimes idyllic silence, sometimes raging storms. So there's a lot to see in this drama. In the end, "The Outrun" is a portrait worth seeing of a woman who is caught between the past and the future and has to learn to find a common life with these inner demons and old ghosts.
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