Saoirse Ronan is taking on one of her most intense roles yet.
After playing a haunting child with sociopathic tendencies in “Atonement,” the now-grownup A-lister leads Sundance breakout-indie “The Outrun,” based on Amy Liptrot’s bestselling memoir.
Ronan stars as Rona (a bit confusing), a young woman recovering from alcoholism. Rona returns to her remote home in the Orkney Islands after losing herself in London; there, she reconnects with her past, her parents, and the atmospheric isolation of the islands on which she grew up.
Nora Fingscheidt directs the highly-anticipated feature, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. IndieWire critic David Ehrlich tweeted on Thursday, “So weird that this very good Saoirse Ronan drama still doesn’t have U.S. distribution! Not the easiest sell in the world, but she’s an absolute force in it.”
Ehrlich wrote in the review that Ronan is “the film’s most dizzying and mesmeric effect, as the actress — who hasn’t starred in a contemporary-set movie since 2015’s ‘Stockholm, Pennsylvania,’ despite bringing a peerlessly vital nowness to every part she plays — feels like an anachronism unto herself in such a modern role. If the opening scenes made me nervous that Ronan’s screen presence might be a little too ‘nice’ to buy her as a believably violent alcoholic, those doubts were soon dispelled by the voraciousness that she injects into each scene.”
Ehrlich credited director Fingscheidt for helming a “rugged character study” with Ronan as Rona at its center.
“Fingscheidt’s nonlinear approach allows the film to ride the tidal rhythms of addiction, while Ronan’s committed performance churns those ebbs and flows into a widescreen journey that earns its epic backdrop,” Ehrlich wrote.
And while Ronan is back in contemporary films with “The Outrun” and futuristic “Foe,” why not throw her a comedy script?
The actress told Harper’s Bazaar UK that after having to turn down a cameo in “Barbie” with longtime collaborator Greta Gerwig due to scheduling conflicts, she is looking to take on a comedic role next.
“I would love to do something modern and funny,” Ronan said. “But to be able to do comedy well requires so much skill and musicality. I don’t necessarily think I have that yet, although as I’ve got older, I am more comfortable and confident to try.”
“The Outrun” premieres September 27 in UK theaters from StudioCanal. It is currently still seeking U.S. distribution. Check out the trailer below.
