Movie Review The Novice

The Novice 

Directed by Lauren Hadaway 

Written by Lauren Hadaway 

Starring Isabelle Fuhrman, Amy Forsythe

Release Date December 17th, 2021

Obsessive, compulsive, driven, damaged, out of control, these are some of the ways I could describe the protagonist of the new movie, The Novice. Played by Isabelle Fuhrman, Alex Dall, the protagonist of The Novice, is obsessed with everything she does. Having deemed herself less than others she makes up for her perceived deficiencies by outworking everyone around her with methodical tendencies bordering on insanity. Whether in academics, sex, or sports, Alex’s crazed determination is both impressive and terrifying. 

Having earned a scholarship to college, Alex finds herself in need of something to keep her motivated. She chooses the hardest thing that she can find, the women’s rowing team. If you aren’t familiar with rowing, it’s one of the most grueling and time consuming sports imaginable. The average person doesn’t join a rowing team. Rowing is a calling for people, an obsession that gets passed down from generation to generation.

Find my full length review at Geeks.Media, linked here. 

Movie Review Orphan First Kill

Orphan First Kill

Directed by William Brent Bell 

Written by David Coggeshall 

Starring Isabelle Fuhrman, Rossif Sutherland, Julia Stiles, Hiro Kanagawa 

Release Date August 19th, 2022 

Considering that director William Brent Bell doesn’t have the greatest resume and the first Orphan movie from 2009 wasn’t very good, I wasn’t particularly interested in another Orphan movie. What a fun surprise it was then to find out that Orphan First Kill is a weird ballsy B-movie that embraces camp in the best possible way. Isabelle Fuhrman, on a roll after her exceptional performance in the rowing thriller The Novice, delivers a stunner of a performance against all odds in a prequel to a movie she made as a child. 

Orphan First Kill takes us back to Russia where a new psychiatrist has taken a job at a remote psychiatric facility for the criminally insane. As the woman is being given a tour of the facility we learn that the most dangerous patient in the prison has gone missing. That patient is Leena Klammer and the new young doctor is about to come face to face with her unexpected evil. Leena, for those who don’t know, is 30 years old but looks like an 11 year old innocent child. After nearly killing the newest doctor at the facility, Esther is subdued and taken back to her room.

Find my full length review at Geeks.Media, linked here.