Saoirse Ronan’s The Outrun: Release date & Everything we know so far

The Outrun is making waves with its striking portrayal of addiction and recovery. It features a standout performance by Saoirse Ronan, a multiple-time Oscar nominee. After making the rounds at prestigious festivals like Sundance and Berlin, the film is set to captivate audiences with its raw and visually stunning storytelling. 

The film’s first US trailer showcases its ethereal aesthetic, reminiscent of a Phoebe Bridgers music video. It highlights its moody blues and dramatic landscapes.

Curious about what’s next for The Outrun? This article provides a comprehensive overview, including the release dates, plot insights, and the latest updates. Stay tuned as we continue to update this article with new information about the film.

Release Date & Where to Watch

The Outrun will premiere in the UK and Ireland on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, exclusively in theaters. US audiences can catch it a week later, on Oct. 4, 2024, and it will be released in Germany on Nov. 7, 2024. The drama film is rated R for language and brief sexuality.

Plot

Based on Amy Liptrot's best-selling memoir, The Outrun follows Rona, who returns to the Orkney Islands after rehab for alcohol addiction. Leaving behind a tumultuous life in London, Rona, now 30, seeks to reconcile with her past amidst the rugged beauty of her childhood home. As she reconnects with her dramatic surroundings, she confronts traumatic memories and recent challenges that have shaped her recovery journey.

The film, adapted by Nora Fingscheidt and Liptrot, delves into themes of addiction, survival, and nature's healing power. Rona’s story unfolds against the breathtaking Orkney landscape, where the natural world becomes both a source of comfort and a catalyst for her transformation.

Talking about her role, Ronan said, “Not only was this going to follow a young female who’s in recovery, but following someone who suffers with alcoholism where the torture, the heartbreak, the spiraling isn’t being motivated solely by her relationship with a man or with her partner. You could even take the addiction element out of it, and it would still be this very relatable story about a period in a woman’s life when she’s moving into her 30s and you’re having to examine your life in a way that you never really did before. This element of the addiction amplifies the journey that we already go on as women at that point in our lives.”

Cast 

• Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, Hanna, and Brooklyn) as Rona
• Saskia Reeves (Slow Horses and Luther) as Annie
• Stephen Dillane (Game of Thrones and Alex Rider) as Andrew
• Lauren Lyle (Outlander and Vigil) as Julie
• Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You and The Lazarus Project) as Daynin
• Izuka Hoyle (Boiling Point and The Responder) as Jack Rooke
• Nabil Elouahabi (Trigger Point and Blue Lights) as Samir
• Naomi Wirthner as Amanda
• Danyal Ismail as Pascal
• Eilidh Fisher as Bible Group Evie
• Seamus Dillane as James the Barman
• Posy Sterling as Rita
• Tony Hamilton-Croft as Gary/Tony Hamilton
• Paul Kulik as a middle-aged man
• Conrad Williamson as Jack
• Scott Miller as Young Andrew
• Patch Bell

Official Trailer

Which film Festivals Showcased The Outrun?

The Outrun premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 19, 2024, and was also featured in the Panorama section of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2024. The film has garnered acclaim, particularly for Ronan’s performance, which earned her a notable award at the Biarritz Nouvelles Vagues Festival.

Who is Directing The Outrun?

The Outrun is directed by Nora Fingscheidt, a German filmmaker known for her previous work on The Unforgivable (2021) with Sandra Bullock, as well as System Crasher (2019) and Ohne diese Welt (2017). Alongside co-writing the screenplay with Amy Liptrot, Fingscheidt brings a personal touch to the project. 

Ronan, who stars in and produces the film, described the subject matter as deeply personal, noting that while she hasn’t struggled with addiction herself, it has affected people close to her. She found the filmmaking process to be “incredibly cathartic.”

Where is The Outrun Filmed?

Filming began in London before moving on to the Orkney mainland and ending on Papa Westray. “We were the first movie ever to shoot in Orkney. In general, it’s just not a place that people even know about, so all of that infrastructure was being brought into the island,” Ronan said.