The Art of Self-Defense (2019)

The Art of Self-Defense is the rare dark comedy that feels like it’s been sharpened to a point: funny in the moment, unsettling a beat later, and always in control of its own strange rhythm. Riley Stearns builds a deadpan, pastel-colored nightmare of a dojo where etiquette and brutality sit side by side, and Jesse Eisenberg plays Casey with such tightly wound sincerity that every small shift in confidence lands like a punchline and a warning at once. Alessandro Nivola’s Sensei is hypnotically calm, Imogen Poots brings grit and intelligence to the film’s conscience, and the whole thing skewers masculinity with a satirist’s precision rather than a sermon. It’s not for everyone—there’s real violence and some graphic sexual content—but if you like thrillers that laugh through clenched teeth and leave you thinking, this one is bracingly original.

The Art of Self-Defense is aiming for a razor-dry, darkly funny satire of masculinity and the cult-like pull of “self-improvement,” with Jesse Eisenberg’s awkwardness used as the joke and the warning label. If you don’t click with deadpan humor, the movie can feel repetitive—same uncomfortable beats, same stiff delivery—until the point is made so loudly it starts to sound like a lecture. It also pivots into nastier territory, and that tonal slide (plus some genuinely upsetting violence) can leave you feeling more grimy than amused. Still, if you like cold, off-kilter indie thrillers with a committed cast and a strong sense of controlled weirdness, it’s sharp in places—just don’t expect a crowd-pleasing ride or a warm payoff.