The Novice

IFC Films | Release Date: December 17, 2021

6.7	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 26 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Watch Now

Stream On

Expand

Review this movie

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

Rebecca31Apr 3, 2022

The Novice does to rowing what Black Swan did to ballet. An overwhelmingly stressful look into the world of rowing and the effect it can have on one’s life and mental health. College freshman Alex Dall (Isabelle Fuhrman) joins theThe Novice does to rowing what Black Swan did to ballet. An overwhelmingly stressful look into the world of rowing and the effect it can have on one’s life and mental health. College freshman Alex Dall (Isabelle Fuhrman) joins the university’s rowing team in order to gain a chance at getting a scholarship. Alex’s competitive nature and desperate need to be the best both academically and as part of the rowing team quickly turns to obsession which then takes its toll on her, physically and mentally.

Straight away it needs to be said that The Novice is not going to be for everyone. It feels very real and authentic, a deep dive look into the world of rowing. It’s expertly directed by Lauren Hadaway with a stunning performance from Isabelle Fuhrman. At times you do forget you’re watching an actual film here and it feels completely real. This of course only adds to the level of stress and building pressure for the entire film. There is a constant sense of dread for a lot of the film and it’s probably not the right thing to watch for anyone considering getting into rowing. It’s almost frustrating to watch as you see Alex putting herself through this, losing herself in the obsessive drive to be the best whatever the cost. You almost want to jump into the screen and scream at her to stop. A very impressive directorial debut by Lauren Hadaway.

The Novice certainly won’t be to everyone’s tastes, it’s an incredibly stressful watch and not one I’d particularly want to see again as I felt quite drained after it. Best recommended for anyone who liked the look of the trailer.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

All this user's reviews

ellingstonDec 24, 2021

I'm a lifelong competitive rower and I'll be honest, I found this movie a bit dull. She's extracted all the negative parts of rowing and focused entirely on those, leaving out all the joy of rowing. The the movie seems to focus on ergI'm a lifelong competitive rower and I'll be honest, I found this movie a bit dull. She's extracted all the negative parts of rowing and focused entirely on those, leaving out all the joy of rowing. The the movie seems to focus on erg training more than actual rowing. I also found the soundtrack ridiculous - you've got horror-movie strings for all the tense moments, then some anachronistic 50's kitsch for the actual erg pieces. Doesn't jibe with my experience at all. If you want to check out an utterly amazing rowing movie watch "Losing Sight of Shore" about four Englishwomen who row across the Pacific Ocean. Each one has her own cellphone camera and the boat is only about 30 feet long so the footage is intimate and at times, incredibly painful to watch - in other words, a true film about Rowing.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

All this user's reviews

ScraperJan 5, 2022

The utter stylishness of the Novice will generate a lot of buzz but that's ultimately it's biggest downfall. I love movies that want to go someplace raw and not hold back. The Novice goes there but with so much frenetic camerawork and montageThe utter stylishness of the Novice will generate a lot of buzz but that's ultimately it's biggest downfall. I love movies that want to go someplace raw and not hold back. The Novice goes there but with so much frenetic camerawork and montage after montage it seems more like a music video. Movies like this actually end up suffocating it's characters rather than fleshing them out completely. Alex's dialogue is great but she rarely gets to speak or have conversations. The overabundance of cuts never lets a scene speak for itself, constantly only giving the audience flashes. Unfortunately it seems like a lot of b-roll. The ending sputters as if to say "We've put you through the ringer already. Roll credits."… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

Brent_MarchantFeb 3, 2022

Writer-director Lauren Hadaway's debut feature is the kind of picture that I describe as "Look Ma, No Hands" filmmaking, a movie in which a wide array of photographic, narrative and atmospheric elements are all haphazardly thrown together toWriter-director Lauren Hadaway's debut feature is the kind of picture that I describe as "Look Ma, No Hands" filmmaking, a movie in which a wide array of photographic, narrative and atmospheric elements are all haphazardly thrown together to showcase the creator's range but ending up with a finished product that's scattered, unfocused and largely incoherent. This cryptic tale of a perfectionist student athlete spends its first half endlessly depicting this overblown character trait but offering precious little in terms of motivation or back story. This makes for a mystifying, tiresome and boring exercise that tries to prop itself up with gimmicky editing and an exhausting yet unsatisfying narrative. The film attempts to compensate for this in its back half by finally filling in some of the missing pieces, but, by that point, given the prior lack of engagement, it's difficult to muster much interest or enthusiasm for what's playing out. To its credit, the picture does feature some inventive cinematography, but that's window dressing that's undercut by all of the foregoing issues, not to mention a fundamentally odd idiom for exploring its central subject matter and an eclectic soundtrack that often feels weirdly out of place. I really have to wonder what the director was aiming for here, but most of it doesn't add up, leaving viewers with more muddle than riddle. Yet more proof of what an awful movie year 2021 was.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

swannuDec 29, 2021

Very painful to watch, so I couldn't make it past the third of the movie. The neurosis of the main character is not only heavy-handedly (in a bad Aronofsky-ish style) but also repetitively illustrated. Too bad, I'm a quite recent rower myselfVery painful to watch, so I couldn't make it past the third of the movie. The neurosis of the main character is not only heavy-handedly (in a bad Aronofsky-ish style) but also repetitively illustrated. Too bad, I'm a quite recent rower myself and would have liked to watch a decent movie on the topic. This one is definitely not one of them...… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

bertobellamySep 5, 2023

'The Novice' is a high-tension psychological drama that submerges us into the world of high-competition rowing to show us how a college girl obsessed with the sport is willing to sacrifice everything to succeed.

This is a great debut for'The Novice' is a high-tension psychological drama that submerges us into the world of high-competition rowing to show us how a college girl obsessed with the sport is willing to sacrifice everything to succeed.

This is a great debut for Lauren Hadaway, who amazes with her remarkable ability to direct Isabelle Fuhrman (of 'Orphan' fame), also great in a demanding and complex role in which the writer/director emphasizes how success can also lead to self-destruction.

It's evident that Hadaway got carried away on many occasions by style since the blurring, the frantic editing, and the slow-motion scenes kind of distract you from the story. Either way, this makes the film visually exquisite.

Comparisons with 'Black Swan' and 'Whiplash' are inevitable, but what distinguishes 'The Novice' is a character who, without external pressure, decides to push himself to the brink.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews