The Edge Film Threat Review

By Alan Ng | September 3, 2025

In Jane Larkin’s The Edge, we meet three young athletes who share a home while pursuing their dreams of competing in Elite Sport. Annie Murphy (Jane Larkin) is an Australian sprinter who lives and breathes sprinting while trying to appease her parents, who see running as a hobby, along with a boyfriend, Sam, who wants to test being in an open relationship with others. Sylvia Orman (Lily Riley), an indigenous Australian powerlifter trying to be true to herself and her culture. Lastly, there is Yui (Mei Ichinose), a Japanese Paralympic swimmer, caught in the middle of a controversy involving her boyfriend, Ed, who has been suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs.

We see that the demands of their respective sports begin to clash with their personal relationships. Annie is torn between doing whatever it takes to be the best of the best, while putting everything and everyone second. Yui feels isolated from her team as the fallout from Ed’s doping scandal spreads. In fact, her teammates think that because her boyfriend cheats, she must be a cheater too. Sylvia is also driven, while trying to embrace her First Nations heritage, she must also accept who she is when it comes to close relationships. At the same time, all three are reminded of the brutal, uncompromising physical demands of high-level disciplined athletics.

This is a story about elite athletes, in which the desire to win and be the best of the best is mandatory…otherwise, there is no place for you. The coaches and Elite Sports make it crystal clear that there is no room for weakness, even in the wake of the passing of a fellow athlete and Annie’s best friend, Chelsea, the previous year. Her death still lingers over their training environment. Annie questions the value of education outside of sport, believing athletics is the only thing that defines her, while Yui and Sylvia confront stigmas that extend beyond competition.

“Three young athletes who share a home while pursuing their dreams of competing in elite sport.”

The Edge reminds me of the after-school specials I watched as a kid (except for a spicy sex scene). Filmmaker and star Jane Larkin drops us right into the world of Olympic-level competition. Each character is faced with a choice of focused dedication to training and winning, while putting everything else in life at a distant second.

We are then introduced to three distinct and diverse characters who challenge this notion from different perspectives. For example, Annie takes seriously the admonition that everything comes second, including her friends, university studies, and her physical health. Yui is faced with winning by cheating and doubts boyfriend Ed’s story. Sylvia is confronted with questions of love and identity.

The Edge also takes on a wide range of minority, disability, First Nations, and LGBT issues. Larkin casts a diverse mix of actors and real-life athletes, including Olympic gold medalists Sally Pearson and Leisel Jones, Tokyo Olympian Riley Day, and Paralympian Braeden Jason. Larkin, herself, is a national-level sprinter. It can be risky casting athletes as actors. At the same time, we don’t exactly get Shakespearean performances; instead, we get a level of authenticity in the performance, particularly in the lead character’s stories of lived experiences.

The Edge is a compelling story that will feel familiar with anyone who has competed at the high school or college level. I’m sure the pressure, sacrifices, and personal struggles can be nightmare-inducing for anyone deeply invested in sport. By blending authentic performances with urgent themes, Jane Larkin delivers a sports drama that resonates far beyond the world of competition.

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