Thriller,Drama
Canada,United States of America
The Novice is a coming-of-age drama film directed by Lauren Hadaway. The film follows a queer college freshman named Alex Dall (played by Isabelle Fuhrman) who joins her university's rowing team with the intention of making it to the top varsity boat.
Despite being a novice in the sport, Alex is determined to succeed and quickly becomes obsessed with both the physical and mental aspects of rowing. She puts herself through grueling workouts and constantly tweaks her technique to try to improve, all while struggling to fit in with her teammates and balance her academic workload.
As Alex's determination intensifies, she begins to push her body to dangerous extremes, causing concern among her friends and coaches. Despite their warnings, she refuses to give up her goal of making it to the top boat and will stop at nothing to achieve it.
The Novice explores themes of obsession, perfectionism, and the pressure to succeed, all through the lens of a young woman who is not only navigating the challenges of a highly competitive sport but also her own identity as a queer person in a heteronormative environment. The film also features strong performances by Margaret Qualley and Danny Deferrari as Alex's supportive roommate and concerned coach, respectively.
