The Art of Self-Defense

  • Theatrical - Wide 2019-07-12

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Synopsis

After he’s attacked on the street at night by a roving motorcycle gang, timid bookkeeper Casey (Jesse Eisenberg) joins a neighborhood karate studio to learn how to protect himself. Under the watchful eye of a charismatic instructor, Sensei (Alessandro Nivola), and... See more hardcore brown belt Anna (Imogen Poots), Casey gains a newfound sense of confidence for the first time in his life. But when he attends Sensei’s mysterious night classes, he discovers a sinister world of fraternity, brutality and hyper-masculinity, presenting a journey that places him squarely in the sights of his enigmatic new mentor. Audacious and offbeat, The Art of Self-Defense is an original dark comedy that takes toxic masculinity to absurd extremes.

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Review: The Art of Self-Defense

PLOT: A mild-mannered office worker (Jesse Eisenberg) is traumatized when he barely survives a brutal mugging. Determined to learn self-defense, he enrolls in a charismatic sensei’s (Alessandro Nivola) karate class, only to find his there’s a lot more going on...
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JoBlo

Top 10 Best Films of 2019 (Paul Shirey’s List)

2019 has been a hell of a year for films, but oddly, that rings more significantly for streaming films than theatrical releases. In what initially appeared to be a kind of indulgent venue for filmmakers to do whatever the hell...

All Articles

Review: The Art of Self-Defense

PLOT: A mild-mannered office worker (Jesse Eisenberg) is traumatized when he barely survives a brutal mugging. Determined to learn self-defense, he enrolls in a charismatic sensei’s (Alessandro Nivola) karate class, only to find his there’s a lot more going on...