Isabelle Furhman’s relentless lead performance as an obsessive aspiring athlete propels the Tribeca rowing drama forward.
“Rhythm is everything,” a crew coach tells Alex (Isabelle Fuhrman) at one point during The Novice, which won awards for best U.S. narrative feature, actress, and cinematography at the Tribeca Festival this week. The coach could well be explaining how this movie, about a college student with an obsessive drive to be the best at varsity rowing, differentiates itself from Black Swan (the movie about a young woman with an obsessive drive to be the best at ballet) or Whiplash (the movie about a young man with an obsessive drive to be the best at jazz drumming) or The Social Network (the movie about a college student with an obsessive drive to be the best at something, even if it winds up destroying the world, in part because there’s no way that he can row crew)—all of which The Novice resembles in content, and sometimes form.
Writer-director Lauren Hadaway’s rhythm is her own, distinct from Darren Aronofsky’s, David Fincher’s, and Damien Chazelle’s, the triumvirate of dude directors who made those previous, excellent studies in obsession. Perhaps informed by her own college rowing experience, Hadaway keys into a relentless push-pull, especially as Alex drives herself further, further, and further still before picking herself up off the floor.
Fuhrmann appears in just about every scene of The Novice. She conveys Alex’s intense drive from its start: she repeats information to herself as a mantra, she scribbles notes (and answers to physics tests that she takes and re-takes in a single study session, triple-checking her work), and lets the words of others play on a loop in her head, nourishing her doubts while Hadaway’s camera stays close. It’s almost a shock to hear her speak with a different rhythm, 10 or 15 minutes into the film—while getting dressed up to attend a frat party with her roommate, no less. But even when she’s partying, Alex is mission-driven – she admits later that her drunken hook-up was first and foremost about crossing that college experience off her list, an obligation to fulfill, one less thing to worry about.
The broad outlines of The Novice are familiar, but its details are its own. The picture emphasizes how much Alex is pushing herself. She is not reacting to outside pressures; she is relentless by her own will. Her coaches are tough, but understanding; if they provide some tacit, accidental encouragement for her self-destructive behavior, it’s always with caveats and warnings. Alex’s frenemy Jamie (Amy Forsyth) doesn’t tease or dismiss her; they’re more friends than enemies, with Jamie’s nonchalance wielded not to provoke Alex’s relentless striving, but to hold her own against the upperclassmen who try to assert their seniority. Even Alex’s fraught romantic relationship with Dani (Dilone) avoids some of the usual dramatics.
The broad outlines of The Novice are familiar, but the details are its own.
Unlike Black Swan’s Nina, Alex ultimately isn’t completely at sea in her social interactions—indeed, sometimes her antisocial tendencies feel like calculated feints on behalf of a movie that may want to keep both madness and relatability close at hand. The Novice uses that relatability—that feeling of wanting to work the hardest at something, be the best at it, to be acknowledged as the best and hardest-working all at once—to keep the movie from spiraling hard into horror territory. (Beyond, of course, the baseline horror of rowing crew, which looks very, very hard.) The memorably dark endings of Black Swan and Whiplash build some suspense into this movie’s familiarity: Will the same twisted triumphs await Alex? The lack of obvious alternate options manages to increase the tension, even if never directly matches the white-knuckle thrills of its closest cinematic cousins.
With its windowless-basement training areas and overcast-to-rainy scenes on the water that make nature look gunmetal grey, The Novice will play well both on a big screen and at home. After all, the thing about relentless perfectionism is that it does. Not. Let. Up. It hits you where you live. It’s a rhythm that refuses to be shaken off or shut out.It’s an immersive, intense, intimate picture with a driving lead performance.
Read next: The Spool's Best New Releases
Streaming guides
The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
The praises of live TV streaming services don’t need to be further sung. By now, we all know that compared to clunky, commitment-heavy cable, live TV is cheaper and much easier to manage. But just in case you’re still on the fence about jumping over to the other side, or if you’re just unhappy with ... The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
Season 3 of the hotly anticipated Power spin-off, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, is arriving on Starz soon, so you know what that means: it’s the ’90s again in The Southside, and we’re back with the Thomas family as they navigate the ins and outs of the criminal underworld they’re helping build. Mekai Curtis is ... How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re so back! To celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, the BBC is producing a three-episode special starring none other than the Tenth/Fourteenth Doctor himself, David Tennant. And to the supreme delight of fans (that would be me, dear reader), the Doctor will be joined by old-time companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and ... How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
For whatever reason, The Hunger Games series isn’t available in the same countries around the world. You’ll find the first and second (aka the best) installments in Hong Kong, for instance, but not the third and fourth. It’s a frustrating dilemma, especially if you don’t even have a single entry in your region, which is ... Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
After a years-long hiatus, scientist and explorer Albert Lin is coming back to National Geographic with a fresh new season of Lost Cities, renamed “Lost Cities Revealed.” In the past, Lin, who is probably the closest we’ll ever get to a real-life Indiana Jones, has traveled everywhere from the ancient Knights Templar in Israel to ... How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
To date, Paramount Network has only two original shows on air right now: Yellowstone and Bar Rescue. The network seems to have its hands full with on-demand streaming service Paramount+, which is constantly stacked with a fresh supply of new shows. But Yellowstone and Bar Rescue are so sturdy and expansive that the network doesn’t ... How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
Previously “Women’s Entertainment,” We TV has since rebranded to accurately reflect its name and be a more inclusive lifestyle channel. It’s home to addictive reality gems like Bold and Bougie, Bridezillas, Marriage Boot Camp, and The Untold Stories of Hip Hop. And when it’s not airing original titles, it has on syndicated shows like 9-1-1, ... How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad show airing on FX. The channel has made a name for itself as a bastion of high-brow TV, along with HBO and AMC. It’s produced shows like Atlanta, Fargo, The Americans, Archer, and more recently, Shogun. But because it’s owned by Disney, it still airs several blockbusters in ... How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
If you’re a fan of true crime and insider docu-shows like The First 48 and Court Cam, then you’re probably already familiar with A&E. The cable channel is home to other reality TV gems like Hoarders, Duck Dynasty, and Storage Wars (they’ve moved on to spin-offs like Road Wars, Customer Wars, and Prison Wars now). ... How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
As the sister channel of the much bigger Univision, Unimás is home to popular Spanish-language telenovelas and talk shows (yes, including El Gordo y La Flaca), as well as a couple of sports events and programs. Most notably, however, Unimás also operates a couple of station affiliates around the country, so it also reports local ... How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial
For many sports fans, TNT is a non-negotiable. It broadcasts NBA, MLB, NHL, college basketball, and All Elite Wrestling matches. And, as a bonus, it also has reruns of shows like Supernatural, Charmed, and NCIS, as well as films like The Avengers, Dune, and Justice League. But while TNT used to be a cable staple, ... How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial