“It’s not a blockbuster for everyone – but those who connect with it do so really deeply”: Nora Fingscheidt and Sarah Brockleurst on The Outrun

Can nature heal? The Outrun certainly puts forward a strong case for saying so. Featuring a career-best performance from none other than Saoirse Ronan (who was also a producer on the project), the film follows one woman’s journey through the depths of alcohol addiction and along the tough road to recovery. However, such a description is unavoidably reductive, as this adaption of Amy Liptrot’s 2016 memoir is far from charting a conventional narrative and linear trajectory, but rather something far more raw, visceral and true to life.

An absolute stand-out of the year, this is a movie that hits different than most, drawing the viewer into our protagonist’s world and capturing all the messiness of experiences associated with mental health challenges and alcoholism from an uncompromisingly personal, female viewpoint, without shying away from both the allure and euphoria that can come with self-destructive behaviour and its dark and detrimental consequences. A key part of the storytelling is also the Orkney Islands where Rona seeks solace, which are not only a backdrop to her search for self and redemption but a character in and of themselves. A testament to the power of cinema to foster empathy, it’s impossible to leave this film without having heard Rona’s music blaring in your ears, the wind whirling around you and the salt of the sea sting your face; felt her soaring highs and desperate lows. 

The Upcoming heard from Fingscheidt (System Crasher, The Unforgivable) about what spoke to her about Liptrot’s story, the collaboration that took place to get the adaptation off the ground and her initial hesitation about how to truly translate the text to screen.

We also spoke with Sarah Brocklehurst about the project from the perspective of a producer, from its inception to execution through to landing in front of audiences to universal acclaim.

Sarah Bradbury

The Outrun is released on Blu-ray and DVD on 16^th December 2024.

Watch the trailer for The Outrun here: