Written by Tom Moore
With a dark sense of humor and wit, true moments of shock and awe, and the most absolutely adorable dog that I have ever seen in a movie, The Art of Self-Defense is the most brilliant surprise of 2019.
At first, the film just follows the journey of a timid accountant, Casey (Jesse Eisenberg), toward becoming a stronger, more masculine man after he receives a traumatic beating on the street. Casey is truly afraid of everything after this traumatic incident, especially other men, as his nervous and slim demeanor makes him feel weaker than other men. However, Casey wants to change and decides to enlist in a local dojo to learn martial arts. There, he meets the mysterious Sensei (Alessandro Nivola), who takes a strong interest in Casey’s growth, and his strongest student, Anna (Imogen Poots). Now, with the tools to intimidate others, Casey begins to harness his inner masculinity and gain respect within the dojo.
Honestly, the first half of this film is great as it easily connects viewers to Casey’s issues and why his desire to become more intimidating is understandable. Eisenberg’s performance perfectly highlight Casey’s timid nature and social anxiety. It excellently builds on his fears towards other men and being out in the dark after his traumatic incident. Even the softer score builds on Casey’s submissive personality and the simplicity of his house shows his isolation and loneliness.
The first half also builds the environment of the dojo and makes it a warm, inviting, and oddly comforting place at first. It actually makes sense that Casey would be so drawn to a place like this. There’s no one who doesn’t treat him like he doesn’t matter and even though it can seem like an intimidating and dominating place, writer-director Riley Stearns makes it a place of escapism for Casey. What makes all of this work, though, is Nivola’s standout performance as Sensei, in what I can only assume is a role he was clearly born to play. Nivola’s character is a charismatic force that seemingly wants to work for his students’ best interest yet maintains his dominating stature so it can imprint on his students. There’s a great mentor and student bond that develops between Casey and Sensei that’s the backbone to Casey’s arc and the two have tremendous chemistry throughout the film.
The film also has a great blunt and sort of subtle comedic style that makes some of the absurd things they talk about hilarious. Every character legitimately believes everything they’re saying and exudes a sense of confidence with just about every line that made me laugh every time. From Sensei talking about how his Grandmaster killed someone with just his index finger to a doctor being confused about how someone could die from being punched by feet, The Art of Self-Defense is dark humor at its finest.
This kind of delivery also works well for the film’s themes about toxic masculinity because it puts them on full display. Due to Sensei instilling the idea that his students need to do everything as masculine as possible, it makes sense that most of the characters wouldn’t be so forthcoming about their emotions when they say anything. Not to mention, the film is sort of this great battle and discussion on what it means to be masculine and even showcase why this form of hyper masculinity could lead to some dark outcomes.
Now, while the first half of The Art of Self-Defense showcases that it’s an entertaining film, the second half elevates it to a full-blown masterpiece. There’s an incredibly dark turn about halfway through that perfectly delves into the dojo’s problematic masculine beliefs and makes the film an absolute thrill ride. It has shades of Fight Club and even shades of Batman that made Casey someone that I just loved. Casey pretty much becomes a hero that viewers will get behind as he begins to dig deeper into the dark secrets this dojo is hiding. This second half turns it from just being a darkly comedic good time into a film that’s surprising, detailed, emotional, and overtly satisfying.
The finale is especially fantastic as it’s perfectly anti-climactic (which is something I never thought I say about a film) and even Casey’s final moments made me want to stand up and cheer for him. The film is truly a hero’s journey and I loved how Stearns makes the story super tight, but rich in details that flow naturally throughout the film.
This second half also gives more time to Poots’ Anne, as she highlights another interesting point about the toxic masculinity presented in the film. Anne is the only adult woman in the entire dojo and while she’s clearly one of the strongest students there–so much so that Sensei has her teach the younger classes–Sensei doesn’t respect her because she’s a woman. This isn’t some theory or possible idea either, he’s very blunt about it and it actually makes sense because of his views on masculinity. It’s even so clear that Anne is always trying to have the same masculine attitudes and the effects of her being in this environment are shown through Poots’s great performance. Her arc also leads to a satisfying conclusion and I really commend Stearns for having such a full scope on toxic masculinity.
Stearns’s style also comes into full force after the film takes its dark turn and the more I noticed all of the details and stylistic choices he was implementing, the stronger my love for the film grew. There’s a great use of belt color to show how opposite Casey and Sensei are and some great parallels within some shots and the score that are truly night and day. Even the way he does a big reveal or presents plot changes is more realistic and less cinematic and I think it helps viewers figure things out for themselves. There’s never an over-reliance on over explaining or for big reveals to have these grand shots or cinematic moments. Rather, Stearns presents revelations that Casey goes through in a more natural way that was more effective in being shocking and surprising.
Although I’ve seen many films so far in 2019, The Art of Self-Defense is easily the most unexpected of the year thus far and it might even be my favorite. Stearns blends a relevant, though-provoking story about modern masculinity with dark comedy that will consistently have viewers laughing and twists and turns that are absolutely thrilling to see unfold. Just calling it a must-see would be a discredit to how much of a masterpiece this film is, so I just suggest that you immediately get your tickets now because I’ll guarantee you won’t leave disappointed.
