FILMINK - The Edge
- Annette Basile - FilmInk
- Apr 22
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 22
by Annette Basille
Year: 2025
Director: Jane Larkin
Rated: 15+
Release: 2 and 6 May 2025
Running time: 103 minutes
Worth: $11.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth.
Cast: Jane Larkin, Lily Riley, Mei Ichinose
Intro: The respective storylines have plenty of human drama, and the friendship between the women is a strong theme, but the promise of a look inside the pressure-cooker world of elite sport is only partly fulfilled.
Set in Queensland, three real-life athletes take on the roles of elite sportswomen who share a house together as they go through the trials, tribulations and training in their quest for gold.
The central character is Annie, a sprinter played by Jane Larkin, who also directed the film and wrote the script inspired by her own experiences as a one-time member of the Australian sprinting team. Larkin delivers a charged, convincing performance, which contrasts with the less polished performances by First Nations powerlifter Lily Riley as Sylvia, and Japanese Paralympic swimmer Mei Ichinose as Yui. Yet the three women are likeable and the chemistry between them is there.
Annie is involved with Sam (Conor Loughnan), an athlete who wants an open relationship. Sylvia is flirting with Eleanor (Maia Michaels), who is unsure of her sexuality, while Yui’s going out with swimmer Ed (Layton Le Petit), who is being accused of using performance-enhancing drugs.
The respective storylines have plenty of human drama, and the friendship between the women is a strong theme, but the promise of a look inside the pressure-cooker world of elite sport is only partly fulfilled. In real life, Larkin lost two teammates to suicide and here, Larkin’s character is grieving for a friend who took her own life a year before the story begins – but this is another angle that remains under-explored.
DOP Ben Knibb’s visuals are slick, the relationship drama is involving, but the sporting events on show lack the expected excitement. Some sequences are more convincing than others – a house party scene lacks the festive vibe, but a scene where Annie and Sam are hiking is not only visually striking but emotionally resonant.
The cast includes a mix of actors and athletes, including Olympic gold medallist swimmer Leisel Jones. But while many films have successfully merged actors with non-actors, in the case of The Edge, that mix gives it an uneven quality.
Despite the misgivings, it concludes on a genuinely feel-good note. It’s one of those films where the journey is enjoyed more in hindsight than in real time. Stick around for the credits for unexpected bonus humour that puts the icing on the feel-good cake.
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