The Art of Self-Defence

Riley Stearns's The Art of Self-Defense is a bizarrely comedic and brutally obtuse account of toxic masculinity and the fragility of the human condition. The poignant exploration of such is shrouded in a dense mystery of monotone delivery in an odd, albeit sensationalised, hypnotic narrative that slowly reveals itself to be a far more concerning and pragmatic examination of societal injustice.

Jesse Eisenberg, in his first comedic role since American Ultra in 2015, is superb as constantly paranoid and high-strung loner Casey. Eisenberg crafts a woefully inept character with simplistic ease and delivers with a monotoned excellence. The character’s enthusiasm and plight is incredibly engaging as well as intoxicating. Eisenberg's charm makes the audience easily root for him against all the odds resulting in a profoundly engaging picture.

The supporting talents of Alessandro Nivola and Imogen Poots are equally as compelling. Nivola delivers with a softly spoken touch that makes his character engulf the screen; he is engaging and vast with a sizeable screen presence. Poots delivers something quite similar but is drastically underutilised, if not purposely done so due to the context of the plot. However, she is outstanding every time her character is exercised on screen. Both characters are overwhelmed in the form of enigmatic mysticism that is slowly revealed as the plot unfolds, but said themes are never quite nailed or outright stated for the audience.

Stearns’s film, beyond the surface of a comedy, is a bizarre and strange exploration of societal and gender roles within a broken system — namely that of misogyny and toxic masculinity. These specific themes are integral but undoubtedly hidden until the film begins to showcase its true intentions. The film changes pace and tone quite dramatically and ultimately comes to fruition as an intensely dark comedy. Thankfully, said themes are not diluted or patronised, granted the film takes some seriously whacky and outlandish twists and turns. The fundamental exploration of such dark and serious themes are the core to what the film wants to say without getting caught up in the overly quirkiness of everything.

The Art of Self-Defence is available on Amazon Prime