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...it’s hard to deny Fuhrman’s pinch-faced vehemence and the film’s hallucinatory verve.

...stunning debut passes the university challenge.

The lines between character study, psychological thriller and sports drama are blurred...

...it’s Furhman, steadily building Alex from the inside out, even as she’s crumbling around her, that adds the most tension and intensity to the film, offering a fully realized performance...

...Fuhrman delivers a massively intense performance, not only through her physical transformation to convincingly portray an elite rowing athlete, but through her commitment to Alex's mental degradation.

The lesson is plain: If you don’t slow down and chill out, you might turn out like this gal.