Saoirse Ronan’s Most Daring Screen Performances: Intimacy and Vulnerability on Film
Saoirse Ronan has never shied away from emotionally demanding roles. Whether she’s portraying a young woman discovering love for the first time, or someone grappling with trauma and addiction, Ronan brings unmatched depth, commitment, and vulnerability to every performance. Over the years, she’s taken on complex characters that explore the raw edges of intimacy—physical, emotional, and psychological. These moments aren’t about sensationalism—they’re integral to her characters’ journeys and showcase her incredible range as an actress.
Here’s a breakdown of Saoirse Ronan’s most daring performances, ranked not by shock value, but by emotional depth and narrative significance.
1. Ammonite (2020)
In Francis Lee’s Ammonite, Ronan stars opposite Kate Winslet in a love story set on the windswept English coast. Ronan plays Charlotte, a fragile woman escaping the confines of her privileged but stifling life. As her relationship with Mary Anning (Winslet) deepens, the film explores the slow build of desire and emotional healing.
Ronan’s performance is intimate and deeply restrained—she peels back the layers of her character’s grief, revealing strength through tenderness. The romantic scenes in Ammonite are deliberately unglamorous, rooted in realism and mutual consent. Far from gratuitous, the physical closeness shown is an extension of emotional trust. Ronan gives Charlotte a sense of quiet defiance, proving that vulnerability is a kind of power.
2. Foe (2023)
In the moody sci-fi drama Foe, Ronan portrays Hen, a woman stuck in a crumbling marriage in a dystopian near-future. Her character is caught between loneliness and loyalty as strange events begin to unfold around her and her husband.
Here, Ronan uses silence as power. Her emotional isolation is mirrored in her physical expressions of detachment and longing. Any moments of intimacy are less about connection and more about absence—what’s missing, what’s unspoken. Her portrayal of emotional repression and quiet despair resonates more powerfully than any dialogue. The role is subtle but haunting, with Ronan once again showing her gift for turning minimalism into emotional gold.
3. The Outrun (2024)
Ronan’s most raw and stripped-down performance to date might be The Outrun, based on Amy Liptrot’s memoir. She plays Rona, a woman returning to her roots in the Orkney Islands after battling addiction. The film is a visceral portrayal of healing and self-reclamation, with nature serving as both backdrop and metaphor.
This performance is intensely personal. Ronan sheds the need for vanity, embodying a character who is at once broken and hopeful. The physical vulnerability she displays on screen reflects a soul trying to rebuild itself, piece by piece. Scenes of solitude, intimacy, and self-reflection reveal how deeply Ronan can inhabit emotional terrain that’s as rugged as the landscapes around her.
A Fearless Artist
Saoirse Ronan doesn’t take roles that ask her to simply perform. She chooses characters who challenge societal norms, expose emotional truths, and force audiences to reflect on the nature of love, identity, and vulnerability. Whether she’s engaging in moments of quiet intimacy or undergoing a psychological metamorphosis, her work always feels earned—not sensational.
For those curious about her most intense and transformative screen moments, these three films showcase Ronan’s ability to turn the personal into the universal. Her performances remind us that true daring on screen isn’t about nudity—it’s about emotional exposure, authenticity, and fearless storytelling.