EYNTK About Saoirse Ronan’s New Film, The Outrun

Is it fifth time’s a charm for Saoirse Ronan?

The actress has been nominated for four Academy Awards for Atonement, Brooklyn, Lady Bird and Little Women over the course of her career. But her new film, The Outrun has people convinced she’ll be picking up that gong this time around.

Here’s everything you need to know about her upcoming flick…

What is The Outrun about?

The Outrun is based on Amy Liptrot’s best-selling memoir of the same name. It follows Rona, a young woman returning home to the Orkney Islands following a 90-day rehab programme after years of partying and struggling with alcoholism in London.

Who is in the film?

The film is directed by Nora Fingscheidt and stars Saoirse Ronan as the main character, Rona. Paapa Essiedu, Saskia Reeves, and Stephen Dillane appear in the film in supporting roles.

During lockdown in 2020, Saoirse’s now husband Jack Lowden had read the memoir and suggested to the Carlow woman that it should be her next role and from there the couple became coproducers on the adaptation. At the screening of the film on Friday Saoirse told RTÉ that she “hadn’t necessarily wanted to produce before but when I read Amy’s book, it felt like something incredibly personal to me”.

The actress revealed in her interview with Patrick Kielty on The Late Late Show that one of the main reasons she wanted to play this role was because she had “seen people [she] loved by affected by this”.

Where was the film shot?

The film was shot in the Orkney Islands, where the story is set. The location was “an essential character in the story” and was vital to the film’s creation.

As part of her role the actress worked on a farm and delivered seven lambs, which was an entirely new experience for her, “It was mad, the maddest thing. As I was doing it, I was thinking to myself, ‘How are they letting me do this?’ It was the most method I’ve ever been”.

Another new experience for the actress was tackling the Orcadian accent which is a difficult accent to nail.

Saoirse Ronan initially worked with a dialect coach and felt confident, saying, “I think this is going well”, however, when her Scottish husband, Jack Lowden, heard her attempt, he asked: “You’re not doing that, are you? Is that what you are going to do?”.

Luckily for Saoirse, the author Amy Liptrot, who she portrays in the film, has a softer accent that she was able to copy.

When does the film come out?

The film first premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival where it received rave reviews, particularly praising Saoirse Ronan’s performance.

The Outrun will hit Irish cinemas on Friday 27th of September.

What about the Oscar buzz?

Critics are already predicting an Oscar nomination for her role. However, this isn’t the only Oscar nod for the Irish actress this year – she is also starring in Blitz, which is set to be released in November.

Blitz tells the story of a mother, played by Ronan, desperately searching for her nine-year-old son during the chaos of the Blitz of World War II. If (and hopefully when) Saoirse receives this double nomination she will be the youngest actor to receive two acting nominations in the same year.

There is no doubt that a win is long overdue for the actress.

Words by Sorcha Keane