The Novice (2021) | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

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Where to Watch The Novice What to Know Critics Reviews Audience Reviews My Rating Cast & Crew More Like This Related Movie News Videos The Novice Photos The Novice Movie Info References
93% Tomatometer 87 Reviews 71% Audience Score 100+ Ratings 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. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

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The Novice

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The Novice

What to Know

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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Critics Reviews

View All (87) Critics Reviews
The Novice (2021) | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Wendy Ide Observer (UK) I can’t wait to see – and hear – what [Hadaway] does next. Rated: 5/5 Apr 4, 2022 Full Review The Novice (2021) | Rotten Tomatoes (2) 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 The Novice (2021) | Rotten Tomatoes (3) 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 The Novice (2021) | Rotten Tomatoes (4) 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 The Novice (2021) | Rotten Tomatoes (5) 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 The Novice (2021) | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Brett Doze InSession Film ...an early career-defining moment for Fuhrman... Rated: A- May 2, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews
See Also
The Novice movie review & film summary (2021) | Roger Ebert‘The Novice’: Film Review

Audience Reviews

View All (60) audience reviews

Addison C As a collegiate rower myself, this is one of the most honest rowing movies out there. The main character, Alex, is a dramatic character for sure but it lends well to the intense nature of the sport. The portrayal of the technical aspects was spot on and the jagged jumps and cuts and time blends really did a beautiful job at capturing the essence of practice. I was expecting some more trigger warnings needed but still, very intense movie. 5 stars for sure Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/04/24 Full Review 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 5/5 Stars • 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 4/5 Stars • 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 3.5/5 Stars • 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 0.5/5 Stars • 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 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/31/24 Full Review Read all reviews

The Novice

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Cast & Crew

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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Videos

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The Novice

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Movie Info

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

Producer
Ryan Hawkins, Kari Hollend, Steven Sims, Zack Zucker

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

Runtime
1h 34m
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The Novice (2021) | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

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