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The Art of Self-Defense

2019

Riley Stearns

Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, Imogen Poots, Steve Terada ...

5.9

2,475

Comedy. Drama The dark comedy "The Art of Self-Defense" stars Jesse Eisenberg and is set in the world of karate. Eisenberg plays a man who is attacked at random on the street and enlists in a local dojo, led by a charismatic and mysterious Sensei (Alessandro Nivola), in an effort to learn how to defend himself.

	Author	Review
United States	Peter Debruge Variety	"This singular black comedy balances off-kilter humor with an unexpectedly thriller-esque undercurrent, to the extent that audiences will find it tough to anticipate either the jokes or the dark [turns]"	POS
United States	Eric Kohn IndieWire	"Stearns’ tone involves a tricky negotiation between the melancholy and the macabre. 'The Art of Self-Defense' doesn’t always pull that balance off, but it has enough ambition and wacky payoff to make the zany gamble worthwhile."	POS
United States	Brian Tallerico rogerebert.com	"Even fans of this movie will be frustrated by its often slack pacing and repetitive writing. It’s ultimately a piece with funny moments sprinkled throughout but that never comes together in a satisfying way."	NEU
United States	Ryan Oliver The Playlist	"Stearns’ script is full of delicious wordplay that every character delivers with a straight face and a lack of self-awareness (...) Slight, yet accurate in his thesis"	POS
United States	A. O. Scott The New York Times	"A wobbly sort-of satire (...) The one halfway-interesting part of this movie is Nivola’s performance"	NEU
United States	John DeFore The Hollywood Reporter	"While the beats of its plot may be nothing very new, the tone, language and performances here make 'Self-Defense' its own beast"	POS
United States	Leah Greenblatt Entertainment Weekly	"'The Art of Self-Defense' could have a lot to say about modern loneliness and toxic masculinity, ideas that writer-director Riley Stearns (...) largely decides to deliver as bone-dry, blunt-force satire."	NEU
Canada	Norman Wilner Now Toronto	"Casey’s transition from cringing functionary to confident asshole is compelling, but Stearns doesn’t give that journey any further texture or resonance, pushing the story toward an ironic climax that feels entirely unearned."	NEU
Canada	Andrew Parker The Gate	"Each individual scene leaves a considerable impression and boasts material worth parsing and paying careful consideration (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)"	POS
Canada	Kurt Halfyard Screen Anarchy	"What is most appealing about 'The Art of Self-Defense', to these eyes, is the direction of the film (...) Eisenberg, Nivola, and a fire-brand Imogen Poots (...) deliver exacting performances"	POS

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