The Novice (2021)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Isabelle Fuhrman stars in this psychological thriller from debut film-maker Lauren Hadaway. At Wellington University, freshman Alex Dall (Fuhrman) decides to join the school's novice rowing programme despite having no experience with the sport. However, she does not let that stand in her way as she obsessively strives to secure a place on the university's varsity rowing team.
- Actors:
- Isabelle Fuhrman, Amy Forsyth, Dilone, Jonathan Cherry, Kate Drummond, Charlotte Ubben, Sage Irvine, Chantelle Bishop, Jeni Ross, Nikki Duval, Eve Kanyo, Al Bernstein, Robert Ifedi, David Guthrie
- Directors:
- Lauren Hadaway
- Producers:
- Ryan Hawkins, Kari Hollend, Steven Sims, Zack Zucker
- Writers:
- Lauren Hadaway
- Genres:
- Drama, Thrillers
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Reviews (1) of The Novice
Dark Water - The Novice review by Steve
Since the millennium it feels like horror has become the hot spice of the big screen; a necessary stimulant for the jaded palates of a diminishing audience. This is superficially about rowing and obsession and maybe even an allegory on what society does to young people through the ordeal of educational hothousing...
But it is created in the cinematic language of horror, with the dark expressionism, minor chords and hallucinatory inserts. The climactic thunderstorm ultimately takes us into the gothic. Isabelle Fuhrman plays a recruit to the University rowing programme whose crazy work ethic makes her unpopular with the rest of the crews.
And it loosens her grip on reality. Or is this... all in her head? Writer-director Lauren Hadaway borrows some of her style from David Lynch, but the story is an original spin on a classic sport film scenario... the plucky challenger who overcomes colossal odds. Except the novice rower is in pursuit of a validation that will never be satiated.
Furhrman is suitably committed as the isolated outsider who is transformed by her addiction into a sort of psychological monster. And she dominates to good effect. The slender premise is stretched by the considerable atmosphere, but that's also fine. This is an impressive debut from Hadaway on multiple levels.