First Take: The Novice - how to really push yourself too far in sport

SYNOPSIS:  A college freshman joins her university’s rowing team and undertakes an obsessive physical and psychological journey to make it to the top varsity boat, no matter the cost.

Screen Unseen always brings out the best in independent cinema, and last night, we got the first edition of 2022. While many people thought it would be The Outfit, The Lost City or even Morbius, the joy of this strand means that sometimes, we can get something truly out of left field: enter the debut film from Lauren Hadaway, The Novice.

This is an interesting film, at 1 hour 37 minutes it is a tightly paced affair, and with a script based partly on Hadaway’s experiences at university, this is a brutal film that reminded a packed screen 10 of films like Whiplash and Black Swan in terms of its execution - it is a slow burner of a character study, which might not appeal to the mainstream market, but this is why Screen Unseen exists in the first place. Films like this are difficult to sell, especially when it comes to a topic like rowing, but what Hadaway has done is made a very neat indie film that she can use to progress her career and refine her skills. On cinematography duties is Todd Martin, who uses quite a bold visual style to tell this story (especially with this also being his first feature film), and handling the score is Alex Weston, who provides a Ronseal job effectively: it does what it says on the tin.

On to the performances, and I have to use a sport analogy to describe the lead work from Isabelle Fuhrman, best known for Orphan and her brief appearance as Clove in the first Hunger Games film - in rugby terms (because it’s the only sport I know inside and out like her character’s knowledge of rowing), it’s the performance equivalent of the fly-half position at number 10: commanding the game, helping shape it and showcasing skills that will get her some fantastic jobs in the future. There’s the one ‘nause moment’ per review - Fuhrman is that good, and it’s not a body double used during the actual rowing sequences in the film; it really is a multi faceted performance that has been overlooked during the back end of awards season (this film was nominated for 5 Independent Spirit awards, and lost all 5 of them) but the supporting performances from Amy Forsyth, Dilone, Jonathan Cherry and Kate Drummond really do foreground the relentless nature of pursuing athletic excellence, something which arguably pushed this film into a 15 certificate. It’s not an easy film to watch, especially knowing the BBFC guidance, but it was a cracker of a way to start off this year’s mystery film nights.

THE VERDICT

Only two walkouts for a Screen Unseen says it all really - The Novice is a strong film that will get the attention of the major studios. Careers will be born off the back of this, and this is why the indie scene deserves some love from the big chains from time to time: you usually miss out on films like this.

RATING: 4/5

The Novice opens in selected UK cinemas on April 1st.