February 16, 2024 – A young Scottish woman's struggle with alcoholism leads her to a remote island in the Orkneys in this scenic and lyrical movie.

The movie opens with a discussion of selkies, the mythical shape-shifting creatures that embody those who died at sea. The film's main character, Rona (played by Saoirse Ronan of “Brooklyn”) says, in the first of many voice-over narrations, “In Orkney, it's said that people who have drowned turn into seals. We call them selkies (for more about selkies, check out the movies The Secret of Roan Innish or Ondine).”

This is the first of many whimsical references to myths and fairy tales about the Orkney Islands in this movie. It also features scenes of haunting scenery and the power of wind and waves, as well as the power of addiction. Rona, as a child, imagines that she can control the wind and waves with her mind. Her journey, told in non-linear fashion from childhood to adulthood and back again, reveals that Rona is what is known as “a mean drunk.” Alcohol can make her abusive, violent and socially dysfunctional.

Rona, who is schooled in biology, narrates, “For those of us susceptible to addiction, alcohol quickly becomes the default way of alleviating anxiety and dealing with stressful situations. Through repeated use of the drug, our neural pathways are scored so deeply, they'll never be repaired.”

Through flashbacks, we see how Rona has burned some bridges with her former boyfriend, Daynin (played by Paapa Essiedu of “men”) and has gotten in trouble in other ways. We follow Rona on her rehab journey through Alcoholics Anonymous and beyond.

When all else fails, she returns to her childhood home and her very religious mother (Saskia Reeves) and bipolar father (Stephen Dillane) who have separated. Like a sad Selkie trapped in a human body and unable to return to the sea, she feels the need to isolate herself from her old emotional triggers. She moves to an even more remote island, Papay (Papa Westray).

Rona narrates, “Orkney is an island off Scotland. Westray is an island off Orkney. Papay is an island off Westray.” In the solitude of Papay, Rona rediscovers the magic of her childhood, and once again feels that she has the power to control the fury of the wind and waves, and her addiction.

Writer-Director Nora Fingscheidt (“System Crasher”) along with fellow writers Amy Liptrot and Daisy Lewis, have softened a harsh tale of alcoholism with beautiful scenery (lensed by Yunus Roy Imer) and tales of magical creatures. Saoirse Ronan embodies a wide range of emotions in this, her second outstanding performance this year, matching her turn in “Blitz.”

This starts out looking like a very depressing movie about a woman sinking into despair and ruin, but it turns out more positive than that, which is a mercy. This movie rates a B.

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