The Outrun is, in fact, not an adaptation of the Sega racing franchise Outrun. Tt’s about as opposite from a video game about racing Ferrraris as you can get. And I’m largely ok with that because: Saoirse Ronan > Ferrari.

The flick is a sobriety/alcoholic drama which is a subgenre I’ve seen plenty of times. But this one takes a different tact by setting it on increasingly more depressing rocky islands in the North Sea. Ronin plays a biologist / drunk who is barely managing her life, spending time in AA, dealing with her separated parents and trying to find a way to be happy that doesn’t include Jim Beam.

A whole hell of a lot does not happen in this film and what does happen includes pointing a camera at Saoirse Ronan’s lovely face. And, even then, very little happens that doesn’t just involve her being drunk or trying to avoid getting drunk. The fact some of the out-of-order scenes take place in London and others on Orkney Island off the coast of Scotland is about the only thing that “happens”. Me? I thought she should take a trip to a Greek island instead and get out of the rain and the grey and the grey rain.

But, yeah, even though nothing ‘happens” for almost two solid hours, I wasn’t bored. I should have been… but the way the film is edited and Saoirse Ronan just being a damn good actor saved the day. That said, the flick felt like it could have ended at any given second… random dramatic moment… cut to credits. But it saves its own soul by waiting for a moment of sublime reflection. I appreciate the growth, the editing, and the swelling sea (and music).

This isn’t one for everyone and it does beg the question if we need another sobriety movie… but the film makes a solid argument through impeccable acting and great locations. We don’t see these barren rocky islands much on screen so that was worth the ticket.

Score: 78