The Novice (film)

Last updated
The Novice
The Novice (film).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byLauren Hadaway
Written byLauren Hadaway
Produced by
  • Ryan Hawkins
  • Zack Zucker
  • Steven Sims
  • Kari Hollend
Starring
CinematographyTodd Martin
Edited by
Music byAlex Weston
Production
companies
  • Picture Movers
  • H2L Media Group
  • ZNZ Productions
  • RBF Productions
Distributed by IFC Films
Release dates
  • June 13, 2021 (2021-06-13)(Tribeca)
  • December 17, 2021 (2021-12-17)(United States)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$24,322 [1] [2]

The Novice is a 2021 American psychological sports drama film written and directed by Lauren Hadaway in her feature directorial debut. Starring Isabelle Fuhrman, Amy Forsyth, Dilone, Charlotte Ubben, Jonathan Cherry, and Kate Drummond, the film follows an obsessive university freshman who joins the rowing team.

Contents

The Novice had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 13, 2021, where Fuhrman won the Best Actress award. The film was theatrically released in the United States on December 17, 2021, to widespread acclaim, with particular praise for Hadaway's direction. It earned five nominations at the 37th Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Film and Best Director for Hadaway. The film is filmed at Trent University.

Plot

After a physics class in which she takes the same exam multiple times over, obsessively competitive college freshman Alex Dall sets out to join the Wellington College Novice Rowing Program. Shortly after the first training session her thoughts become occupied with the sport - in particular with the consistent form practiced while rowing.

Jamie Brill, another freshman taking up rowing as a means to attain a much needed athletic scholarship, is quickly labeled as the "best novice" on the team to the chagrin of Alex - which further fuels her obsessive drive. Over time, Alex improves her rowing times at the detriment of her academic performance, and her and Jamie are moved into the varsity team. While Jamie quickly adapts to the new environment, Alex fails to fit in both socially and athletically, and accidentally knocks herself out during a major race.

Moved back to the novice team, Alex loses her already tenuous friendship with Jamie - and during the first joint novice/varsity practice passes out while exercising and urinates herself. After Erin, a varsity rower and trainer, outlines the criteria to officially make varsity but expresses doubt in Alex due to her small stature, Alex begins vigorously practicing alone, but is interrupted by Coach Pete who has been taking increasing notice of her potentially self-harmful level of commitment. Pete initially attempts to dissuade Alex from working so hard, but eventually offers to assist her in using a scull to practice alone during winter break.

Alex steadily improves as a rower by practicing over fall break, and begins a romance with Dani, her former teaching assistant. Alex and Jamie are eager to try out for the "1V boat" which the best members of the team row on, but are denied the opportunity by Coaches Pete and Edwards. Meanwhile, Alex's health deteriorates, with a wound on her palm frequently bleeding.

In the spring, Alex and Jamie race to determine who will take the spot of a 1V Rower who has left the team due to a broken collarbone. Alex loses, sensing that the team was assisting the more popular Jamie by sandbagging while rowing on Alex's boat. Dejected, Alex cuts herself near her ribs, while an infection from the wound on her palm begins to spread up her arm. Dani breaks up with Alex due to her increasingly destructive behavior. Alex accuses Jamie of cheating to win the spot, and Jamie tells her that she learned that despite letting Jamie think she needed the scholarship, she's just another silver spoon student. Jamie says she had Alex's back before, but now no one on the team has any respect for Alex.

In the last week of the season the team has a casual, friendly competition, but Alex publicly declares she will break Highsmith's team record. The girls row in individual boats in the dark hours of a cold early morning. Alex collides her boat into Highsmith's, who is thrown into the water. The rule is row in rain but never lightning, and the rest of the team starts to row back owing to the increasing severity of the storm, but Alex persists despite their warnings. Alex runs into Jamie's boat as well and is thrown into the water, but climbs back on and continues rowing into the storm.

Alex finishes the race and looks at her watch. She returns to the training building to the silent shock of her team members and coaches. She erases her name from the team chalkboard and walks away.

Cast

Release

The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 13, 2021. [3] There, it won the Best U.S. Narrative Feature Film prize. [4]

In August 2021, it was announced that IFC Films acquired North American distribution rights to the film, which was released in select theaters and on demand and digital platforms on December 17, 2021. [5]

Reception

Box office

In its opening weekend, the film earned $12,301 from 36 theaters for a per screen average of $341. [6] In its second weekend, it made $1,034 from only nine theaters. [7] The film dropped to six theaters in its third weekend and earned $1,222. [8]

Critical response

The film has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 60 reviews, with an average rating of 7.80/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "A remarkable first feature for writer-director Lauren Hadaway, The Novice paints a thrilling -- and disturbing -- portrait of obsession." [9] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 87 out of 100, based on 14 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [10]

Jourdain Searles of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review and wrote, "A film this raw made with such a steady, assured hand only comes along once in a while. We should take notice." [11] Kate Erbland of IndieWire graded the film a B+ and wrote, "The film’s tense score, from composer Alex Weston, adds to the sense that The Novice is more a horror film than anything else, with a series of intriguing, vintage song choices alternately cutting and upping that tension..." [12] Hoi-Tran Bui of Slash Film rated it an 8 out of 10 and wrote, "It's an impressive feat of incisively dark tone, even if the plot and characters are little more than shadows." [13]

Alex Saveliev of Film Threat also rated the film an 8 out of 10 and wrote, "Hadaway may be a novice at helming feature-length films, but that doesn’t make her any less of a visionary." [14]

Accolades

AssociationDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipientsResultRef(s).
Tribeca Film Festival June 17, 2021 Best U.S. Narrative Feature The NoviceWon [15]
Best Actress in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film Isabelle Fuhrman Won
Best Cinematography in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film Todd MartinWon
Independent Spirit Awards March 6, 2022 Best Film Ryan Hawkins, Kari Hollend, Steven Sims and Zack ZuckerNominated [16] [17]
Best Director Lauren HadawayNominated
Best Female Lead Isabelle Fuhrman Nominated
Best Supporting Female Amy Forsyth Nominated
Best Editing Lauren Hadaway and Nathan Nugent Nominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabelle Fuhrman</span> American actress (born 1997)

Isabelle Fuhrman is an American actress. She is known for her breakthrough role as Esther in the horror film Orphan (2009) and its prequel Orphan: First Kill (2022). She plays Clove in the dystopian adventure film The Hunger Games (2012), Alex in the independent film The Novice (2021), and Diamond in the Western film series Horizon: An American Saga (2024–present).

<i>Orphan</i> (2009 film) Film by Jaume Collet-Serra

Orphan is a 2009 psychological horror film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and written by David Leslie Johnson from a story by Alex Mace. The film stars Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder, Jimmy Bennett and Aryana Engineer. The plot centers on a couple who, after the death of their unborn child, adopt a psychopathic nine-year-old girl with a mysterious past.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Welsh Boat Race</span> University rowing competition in Wales

The Welsh Boat Race, also known as the Welsh University Boat Race and The Welsh Varsity Boat Race, is an annual rowing race in Wales between the Swansea University Rowing Club and the Cardiff University Rowing Club, rowed between competing eights each spring since 2006 on the River Tawe or River Taff in South Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killer Films</span> American independent film production company

Killer Films is a New York City-based independent film production company founded in 1995 by film producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler. The company has produced many acclaimed independent films over the past two decades including Far From Heaven, Boys Don't Cry, One Hour Photo, Kids, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Happiness, Velvet Goldmine, Safe, I Shot Andy Warhol, Swoon, I'm Not There, Kill Your Darlings, Still Alice and Carol. Killer Films also executive produced Todd Haynes' five episode HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce, which went on to win five Emmys, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

<i>Flight 7500</i> 2014 film directed by Takashi Shimizu

Flight 7500 is a 2014 American supernatural horror film directed by Takashi Shimizu and starring Leslie Bibb, Jerry Ferrara, Ryan Kwanten, and Amy Smart. It revolves around a supernatural force on a plane. The film is loosely based on the Helios Airways Flight 522 incident that took place in 2005. The film was released in the United States on April 12, 2016, by CBS Films and Lionsgate, after being released theatrically in Asia.

<i>Passion</i> (2012 film) 2012 film

Passion is a 2012 erotic thriller film written and directed by Brian De Palma, starring Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace. It is an English-language remake of Alain Corneau's 2010 thriller film Love Crime, but with the ending greatly altered. The film is an international co-production between France and Germany. The film was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 69th Venice International Film Festival.

<i>Carol</i> (film) 2015 film by Todd Haynes

Carol is a 2015 historical drama romance film directed by Todd Haynes. The screenplay by Phyllis Nagy is based on the 1952 romance novel The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith. The film stars Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy, and Kyle Chandler. Set in 1950s New York City, the story is about a forbidden affair between an aspiring female photographer and an older woman going through a difficult divorce.

<i>Fifty Shades of Grey</i> (film) 2015 film by Sam Taylor-Johnson

Fifty Shades of Grey is a 2015 British-American erotic romantic drama film directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson from a screenplay by Kelly Marcel. Produced by Focus Features, Michael De Luca Productions, and Trigger Street Productions, and distributed by Universal Pictures, it is based on E. L. James' 2011 novel of the same name, and serves as the first installment in the Fifty Shades film series. Starring Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Jennifer Ehle and Marcia Gay Harden, the film's story follows Anastasia "Ana" Steele (Johnson), a college graduate, who begins a sadomasochistic relationship with young business magnate Christian Grey (Dornan).

Amy Forsyth is a Canadian actress. On television, she appeared as a series regular on the Hulu drama The Path (2016–17), the second season of SyFy horror anthology Channel Zero (2017), and the NBC musical drama Rise (2018), along with recurring roles on the science fiction Western Defiance (2014–15) and the historical drama The Gilded Age (2022). She also appeared in the horror films A Christmas Horror Story (2015), Hell Fest (2018), and We Summon the Darkness (2020) and the drama films Beautiful Boy (2018), CODA (2021), and The Novice (2021).

<i>Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice</i> 2019 documentary film

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice is a 2019 documentary film about American singer Linda Ronstadt. It was directed by Oscar-winning filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. It features interviews with many of Ronstadt's friends and fellow artists.

<i>My Zoe</i> 2019 "`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000002-QINU`" film

My Zoe is a 2019 drama film written and directed by Julie Delpy. It stars Delpy, Richard Armitage, Daniel Brühl, Gemma Arterton, Saleh Bakri, Lindsay Duncan and Sophia Ally.

<i>Becky</i> (2020 film) Film by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion

Becky is a 2020 American action thriller film directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion, from a screenplay by Nick Morris, Lane Skye, and Ruckus Skye. The film stars Lulu Wilson, Kevin James, and Joel McHale. McHale and Wilson portray Jeff and Becky, a father and daughter whose vacation home is besieged by a gang of Neo-Nazis led by James's character, Dominick.

<i>Escape Room: Tournament of Champions</i> 2021 American psychological horror film

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions is a 2021 American survival horror film directed by Adam Robitel and written by Will Honley, Maria Melnik, Daniel Tuch, and Oren Uziel. A sequel to 2019's Escape Room, it stars Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, and Deborah Ann Woll reprising their roles from the first film, alongside new cast members Indya Moore, Holland Roden, Thomas Cocquerel, and Carlito Olivero, and follows a group of six people trying to survive a new series of more deadly escape rooms.

<i>Old</i> (film) 2021 film by M. Night Shyamalan

Old is a 2021 American thriller film written, directed, and produced by M. Night Shyamalan. It is based on the French-language Swiss graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Lévy and Frederik Peeters. The film features an ensemble cast consisting of Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Alex Wolff, Thomasin McKenzie, Abbey Lee, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Ken Leung, Eliza Scanlen, Aaron Pierre, Embeth Davidtz, and Emun Elliott. The plot follows a group of people who find themselves aging rapidly on a secluded beach.

<i>Lorelei</i> (film) 2020 American drama film

Lorelei is a 2020 American drama film written and directed by Sabrina Doyle in her feature directorial debut. It stars Pablo Schreiber, Jena Malone, Amelia Borgerding, Parker Pascoe-Sheppard, Chancellor Perry, and Gretchen Corbett.

<i>Orphan: First Kill</i> 2022 film by William Brent Bell

Orphan: First Kill is a 2022 American psychological horror film directed by William Brent Bell and written by David Coggeshall, based on a story by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Alex Mace. It is a prequel to the 2009 film Orphan. It stars Isabelle Fuhrman, Julia Stiles, Rossif Sutherland, Hiro Kanagawa, and Matthew Finlan.

<i>Honeydew</i> (film) 2020 American horror film

Honeydew is a 2020 American horror film written and directed by Devereux Milburn, and was later released in the US on March 12, 2021. The film stars Sawyer Spielberg, Malin Barr and Barbara Kingsley. It received generally mixed reviews from critics.

<i>Catch the Fair One</i> 2021 American film

Catch the Fair One is a 2021 American thriller film written, directed, and produced by Josef Kubota Wladyka, based on a story by Wladyka and Kali Reis in her film debut. It stars Reis, Daniel Henshall, Tiffany Chu, Michael Drayer, Lisa Emery, Kimberly Guerrero, and Kevin Dunn. The plot follows a young American Indian woman and former boxer named Kaylee who voluntarily joins a sex trafficking ring to find her missing younger sister. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 12, 2021. It was released in the United States on February 11, 2022, by IFC Films. The film was met with critical acclaim, with praise aimed towards the story and performances. At the 37th Independent Spirit Awards, Reis received a nomination for Best Female Lead.

<i>Italian Studies</i> (film) 2021 American film

Italian Studies is a 2021 American drama film, written and directed by Adam Leon. It stars Vanessa Kirby, David Ajala, Simon Brickner, Annika Wahlsten, Annabel Hoffman, and Maya Hawke.

Tape is a 2020 American thriller drama film written and directed by Deborah Kampmeier and starring Isabelle Fuhrman, Tarek Bishara and Annarosa Mudd.

References

  1. ↑ "The Novice (2021)". The Numbers . Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  2. ↑ "The Novice (2021)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  3. ↑ Goldsmith, Jill (June 13, 2021). "Blisters And Betrayal: 'The Novice' Explores Obsession Through College Rowing – Deadline Studio". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  4. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (June 24, 2021). "Tribeca Festival Winners: 'Catch The Fair One' And 'Blind Ambition' Nab Audience Awards, Joining Juried Nods For 'The Novice', 'Brighton 4th', 'Ascension'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  5. ↑ Grobar, Matt (August 6, 2021). "'The Novice': IFC Films Acquires North American Rights To Tribeca Prize Winner, Sets Release Date". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Domestic 2021 Weekend 51". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Domestic 2021 Weekend 52". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Domestic 2021 Weekend 53". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  9. ↑ "The Novice". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  10. ↑ "The Novice". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  11. ↑ Searles, Jourdain (July 6, 2021). "'The Novice': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  12. ↑ Erbland, Kate (June 14, 2021). "'The Novice' Review: Isabelle Fuhrman Explodes Off the Screen in Intense College Rowing Drama". IndieWire. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  13. ↑ Bui, Hoi-Tran (June 24, 2021). "'The Novice' Review: Isabelle Fuhrman Is A Force Of Nature In This Brutal Sports Drama [Tribeca]". /Film. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  14. ↑ Saveliev, Alex (June 20, 2021). "The Novice". Film Threat. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  15. ↑ The Editors (2021-06-17). "The 2021 Tribeca Festival Announces Award Winners". Tribeca News. Retrieved 2022-01-09.{{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  16. ↑ Tangcay, Jazz; Lang, Brent (2021-12-14). "Indie Spirit Awards 2022: Full List of Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  17. ↑ "These are the 2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominees". Film Independent. 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.