The Novice

R

Released Dec 17, 2021

1 hr. 34 min.

Mystery & Thriller

TRAILER

for The Novice: Trailer 1

List

93%

87 Reviews

Tomatometer

71%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan) plays Alex Dall, a queer college freshman who joins her university's rowing team and undertakes an obsessive physical and psychological journey to make it to the top varsity boat, no matter the cost. Intent on outperforming her teammates, Alex pushes herself to her limits-and beyond, alienating everyone around her in the name of success. Furhman's fierce lead performance collides with Lauren Hadaway's bold direction and dynamic editing, creating a visceral window into a cutthroat world. Stylish cinematography and a seductive soundtrack complete the experience, evoking the romance and danger of falling in love; the attraction, the drama and the fallout. This unapologetic debut from Hadaway, based on her personal experience as a competitive collegiate rower, heralds a bold new voice in queer storytelling. If you liked Whiplash, this one's for you.

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Premiered Aug 01

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Critics Consensus

A remarkable first feature for writer-director Lauren Hadaway, The Novice paints a thrilling -- and disturbing -- portrait of obsession.

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Suzanne G

This is not an easy movie to watch, but I think it is well-done. The characters feel real, and, for me, the story's dramatic arc is satisfying.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/24

Full Review

Sal D

Definitely worth that watch. Lead actress Isabelle Fuhrman offers a master class portrayal of an obsessive compulsive, on edge, borderline to not so bordering self destructive character Alex who's beyond ultra competitive.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/05/24

Full Review

Joshua m

Good acting all around, especially the 2 leads. Also well directed in a stylistic yet intense manner. There is a lot going on here psychologically, some of which remains unexplored. My only complaint is that the dialogue is sometimes hard to follow.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Dull. Weird jumps and camera work instead of actually telling a story. Didn’t care about the main character at all because all you know is she’s hyper competitive. No depth. Nothing relatable. Turned it off.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/24

Full Review

Randy H

I guess I am out of synch with many other reviews, but I did not like this movie. It was unpleasant to watch--maybe that's the point, but it is not what I want from a movie.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/31/24

Full Review

diane S

The character study was good. The production values were good. The story suddenly got good about two-thirds of the way through. However I fast forwarded through a lot of it out of boredom.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/27/24

Full Review

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Lauren Hadaway

Director

Isabelle Fuhrman

Alex Dall

Amy Forsyth

Jamie Brill

Dilone

Dani

Kate Drummond

Coach Edwards

Jonathan Cherry

Coach Pete

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The Novice: Trailer 1

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

I can’t wait to see – and hear – what [Hadaway] does next.

Rated: 5/5

Apr 4, 2022

Full Review

Elizabeth Wiart

Little White Lies

A hard hitting look inside the body and mind of a compulsive perfectionist.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 1, 2022

Full Review

Linda Marric

The Jewish Chronicle

Hadaway delivers an engaging queer psychological thriller which delves deep into the destructive nature of obsessive-compulsive behaviour.

Rated: 5/5

Mar 31, 2022

Full Review

Rebecca Johnson

Film Focus Online

The Novice is a tense, fast paced and unique psychological drama that explores its theme of obsession well, diving into the psyche of its lead character with great development.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 25, 2023

Full Review

Nuha Hassan

Nuha Hassan

It’s uncomfortable, terrifying, and even more so, relatable as a coming-of-age story that deals with the anxieties of college achievements.

Jul 21, 2023

Full Review

Brett Doze

InSession Film

...an early career-defining moment for Fuhrman...

Rated: A-

May 2, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan) plays Alex Dall, a queer college freshman who joins her university's rowing team and undertakes an obsessive physical and psychological journey to make it to the top varsity boat, no matter the cost. Intent on outperforming her teammates, Alex pushes herself to her limits-and beyond, alienating everyone around her in the name of success. Furhman's fierce lead performance collides with Lauren Hadaway's bold direction and dynamic editing, creating a visceral window into a cutthroat world. Stylish cinematography and a seductive soundtrack complete the experience, evoking the romance and danger of falling in love; the attraction, the drama and the fallout. This unapologetic debut from Hadaway, based on her personal experience as a competitive collegiate rower, heralds a bold new voice in queer storytelling. If you liked Whiplash, this one's for you.

Director: Lauren Hadaway
Executive Producer: Ryan Bartecki, Alex Engemann, Jeff Handel, Christopher Hines, Michael Tennant, Randy Toll, Steven Toll
Screenwriter: Lauren Hadaway
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Picture Movers Anonymous, H2L Media Group, Exit Strategy Productions
Rating: R (Some Sexuality|Language|Brief Disturbing Material)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 17, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 17, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $23.0K

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