Feature film debut director, Lauren Hadaway’s thriller movie The Novice will take you through the paces of being an elite athlete without all that pesky exercise. The Novice cast includes Isabelle Fuhrman who many will instantly recognize from the cult horror movie favorite, Orphan.
Furhman’s character is known in the psychological forward story as Alex Dall, a college freshman who likes to compete. Her specific angle throughout the narrative relies on her ability to be the best of the best. But her story isn’t as simple as it sounds. In an unusual twist for a sports-centric movie, things are constantly dark rather than uplifting. The film itself is being compared to stories like Black Swan or even Nightcrawler, where having a competitive edge can also lead down a dark path.
What I loved about the meaning behind The Novice, is that there are rarely films that explore obsessive determination in this way. As someone who isn’t competitive but likes a challenge, the idea of being a champion at anything is an alien concept. But in this film, the meaning behind The Novice serves to show the other half a window into that world. The film wants more than just to show you a glimpse of grueling exercise programs that involve a rowing machine workout of epic proportions. This story gives you a reason for it all as well.
It’s the ending of The Novice movie that ties everything together. For some, there will just be questions. But watching Dall evolve and present the backstory as to what their motivations are for her was the most interesting part. I don’t relate to it, but I sure as hell understand.
Rowing Exercise Workout is Not for the Weak
The story is told so well it was no surprise to discover its writer-director Hadaway was a rower competitively back in her youth. Similar to the main character she put herself through the paces for no other reason aside from grit and determination. A novice by definition is someone who is inexperienced in their chosen vocation and in this wonderfully aesthetic thumpingly paced rendition that moves through the juncture of a young girl finding her way, results in a mesmerizing ride.
Partly because the performances from the key cast were brilliantly conducted. But also in part because it doesn’t matter if it’s relatable in the truer sense. It’s easy to live vicariously through someone like Alex Dall and want her to win despite everything she loses on the way to her goal.
Colors within the coming-of-age thriller lend their style to unrelated films set in dark and dingy alleyways. Always up against the bleakness of early morning and steeped in an almost solitary lifestyle. Why does she do it? Dall explains at one point, that everything she does has nothing to do with winning. Nothing to do with being the best of the best. She takes something where she is symptomatically an underdog and figures out how to make her way to the top. She bests her naturally abled competitors at things they don’t need to put effort into. It’s only in these moments that her innermost catharsis is reached.
The Novice is a watchable chunk of good-quality screen time.
The Novice 2021 film is rated
4 there is only one winner out of 5
Movies With Sports
“It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”
Ursala K. LeGuin
The Novice Movie Ending Explained
To be clear, the final scene in The Novice is abrupt. For the time Alex spends on her achieving her end game, everything feels too severe at that moment when she rubs her name off the board. But it’s because she never really wanted all the things that come with being the best. She was only ever interested in achieving something that was supposed to be impossible to do against all odds.
Where Can I Watch The Novice?
The heavy-hitting dark film, The Novice was released in select theaters and on demand and digital platforms on December 17, 2021. For best of the best streaming options and rental advice see below.
The Novice film is streaming on:
The Novice cast includes Isabelle Fuhrman, Dilone, Jonathan Cherry, Kate Drummond, and Amy Forsythe (Hell Fest). Courtesy of IFC Films. Production for the film is by Picture Movers Anonymous.
The Novice
Director: Lauren Hadaway
Date Created: 2021-09-17 21:11
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