Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan) plays Alex Dall, a queer college freshman who 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. Intent on outperforming her teammates, Alex pushes herself to her limits and beyond, alienating everyone around her in the name of success. Furhman’s fierce lead performance collides with Lauren Hadaway’s bold direction and dynamic editing, creating a visceral window into a cutthroat world. Stylish cinematography and a seductive soundtrack complete the experience, evoking the romance and danger of falling in love; the attraction, the drama and the fallout. This unapologetic debut from Hadaway, based on her personal experience as a competitive collegiate rower, heralds a bold new voice in queer storytelling.

For in-depth thoughts on The Novice, please see my colleague Devin McGrath-Conwell’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

The Novice comes to Blu-Ray in a terrific 1080p presentation that captures the film with ease. The film provides a steely aura to the color palette which saturates the screen appropriately in high definition. There are key hues in the production design that impress with the depth of the shade. The transfer reveals texture within the costumes and the natural environment that adds valuable depth to the picture. Skin tones are detailed and natural throughout the ensemble, especially with beads of water rolling over skin. Highlights are handled with care with no indication of blooming, and the black levels are pretty deep, avoiding virtually all potential crush and compression artifacts. At worst, there is some fleeting banding. The transfer handles every aspect with the utmost care. IFC Films has done a top-tier job with this release.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a strong DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that easily translates this story. The sound design is surprisingly complex, as the sounds conjure a world that has a distinct personality. Dialogue comes through clearly without ever being dampened by competing sounds. Environmental flourishes heighten the soundscape to give the world some unique qualities. The effective score flows through the room with a consistent fidelity. While the story does not dive into action territory in the traditional sense, there is dynamic low-end support that conjures extra texture in some thrilling sequences. The audio experience is a winner. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Lauren Hadaway and actress Isabelle Fuhrman provide an informative and entertaining commentary track in which they delve into the stressful production, the complications of working during the pandemic, collaborating with the ensemble, the shooting locations, how they secured different pieces of the production design, scenes that did not make it to the final cut, and more.

Interview with Director Lauren Hadaway: A three-minute piece in which the filmmaker discusses the movie in broad terms, interspersed with clips from the movie and comments from some of the actors.

Interview with Actress Isabelle Fuhrman: A two-minute interview with the star in which she discusses the training that went into preparing for this role.

Deleted Scenes: There is a nearly four-minute collection of unused footage provided that yields some interesting personal moments with our lead.
Booklet: A multi-page booklet featuring an essay from film critic Fiona Underhill is provided that delves into the craft elements that make up the feature.

Final Thoughts

The Novice is one hell of a feature directorial debut from Lauren Hadaway. The way in which she controls the tension throughout this psychological spiral is downright masterful, and you will find yourself wincing at every action of our protagonist. Isabelle Fuhrman delivers a performance that would rank among the best of any given year. Her screen presence is captivating, even as you are desperate to look away to spare yourself the discomfort. This is one of the great indie dramas of the early 2020s. IFC Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and some welcome special features. Recommended

The Novice is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome/OCN Distribution.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: IFC Films & OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.