The Novice

Completed202196 min

Alex Dall starts university with little rowing experience and an overwhelming determination to reach the top of the team. Training quickly…Read more +Read less −

Alex Dall starts university with little rowing experience and an overwhelming determination to reach the top of the team. Training quickly becomes the organising force in her life, with every setback treated as something that can be overcome through more effort. Her relationship with fellow rower Jamie mixes admiration with rivalry, while a developing romance with teaching assistant Dani offers moments of warmth outside the demands of the boathouse. Alex finds it increasingly difficult to remain in those moments. Physical exhaustion and private rituals begin to reveal the cost of the standard she has set herself. As the distinction between dedication and self-destruction narrows, the people around her struggle to reach someone who regards stopping as a form of failure.

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Drama Thriller

Sapphic characters & cast

Isabelle Fuhrman

as Alex Dall

Main sapphic character

1997-02-25 · ♓ Pisces

Apple TV named performer publicity; photographer unspecified

Dilone

as Dani

Main sapphic character

1994-05-13 · ♉ Taurus

Apple TV named performer publicity; photographer unspecified

YOUR FIRST LOOK

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BEHIND THE SCENES

Details & credits

Country: United States
Language: English
Premiere: 2021-12-17
Runtime: 96 minutes
Director: Lauren Hadaway

Official film provider/distributor key art; designer not supplied

Artwork source & permission status

Editorial review approved — rights not independently confirmed

Official film provider/distributor key art; designer not supplied

Original publication ↗

Sources & editorial notes (11)

Last researched 2026-10-28. Editorially approved.

year: Exact feature provider listing and available cast/edition metadata
genres: Exact feature provider listing and available cast/edition metadata
status: Filmmaker / distributor / festival record or creator interview
country: Technical / origin / edition metadata (scope caveats in notes)
language: Technical / origin / edition metadata (scope caveats in notes)
directors: Filmmaker / distributor / festival record or creator interview
description: Substantial sapphic lead/story evidence; classification in note
trailer url: Official embedded trailer or exact preview
watch links: Official full-film viewing destination
western cast: Exact feature provider listing and available cast/edition metadata
premiere date: Exact feature provider listing and available cast/edition metadata
runtime minutes: Technical / origin / edition metadata (scope caveats in notes)
classification note: Substantial sapphic lead/story evidence; classification in note
representation type: Substantial sapphic lead/story evidence; classification in note