The Novice
A driven college rower turns the pursuit of athletic excellence into a terrifying campaign against her own body and everyone around her.
Overview
A college freshman's relentless pursuit of excellence leads her down a dark path of obsession.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- intense
- disturbing
- claustrophobic
- intense movie night
- sports drama marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly acclaimed Lauren Hadaway's assured debut for transforming collegiate rowing and obsessive ambition into a thrilling, disturbing psychological portrait.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Alex's obsessive pursuit of the top varsity boat drives extreme physical and psychological deterioration.
Rowing practice, injury, exhaustion, and bodily limits are rendered as increasingly disturbing experiences rather than inspirational obstacles.
Alex's determination to outperform her teammates damages her relationships with Jamie, Dani, and the coaching staff.
The film uses rowing repetition, tense scoring, and kinetic editing to intensify Alex's fixation and physical strain.
Films like The Novice, and why
Black Swan
psychological intensity, corrosive ambition, and a female protagonist consumed by perfectionism
Whiplash
obsessive athletic training, punishing mentorship, and thriller-like pressure within a competitive institution
Foxcatcher
grounded collegiate sports drama centered on discipline, rivalry, and personal sacrifice
Movie Details
- Director
- Lauren Hadaway
- Release Date
- 2021-12-17
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (223)
Cast
- Isabelle Fuhrman
- Amy Forsyth
- Dilone
- Jonathan Cherry
- Kate Drummond
- Charlotte Ubben
- Sage Irvine
- Chantelle Bishop
- Jeni Ross
- Nikki Duval
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, Sundance Now, IFC Films Unlimited Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Novice about?
- A driven college rower turns the pursuit of athletic excellence into a terrifying campaign against her own body and everyone around her.
- What is The Novice like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Novice as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Novice violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Novice as mild.
- What did critics think of The Novice?
- Critics broadly acclaimed Lauren Hadaway's assured debut for transforming collegiate rowing and obsessive ambition into a thrilling, disturbing psychological portrait.
- Which films are like The Novice?
- Films with a similar feel include Black Swan, Whiplash, and Foxcatcher.
- How long is The Novice?
- The Novice runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Novice?
- In United States, The Novice streams on Philo, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, Sundance Now, IFC Films Unlimited Apple TV channel.
