Casey is attacked at random on the street and enlists in a local dojo led by a charismatic and mysterious Sensei in an effort to learn how to defend himself. What he uncovers is a sinister world of fraternity, violence and hypermasculinity and a woman fighting for her place in it.
martial arts self worth confidence sports psychopath dark comedy karate crematorium sexism cult satire murder dojo motorcycle gang dog german shepherd misogyny mugging death of pet black belt masculinity accountant deadpan toxic masculinity traumatized man ambiguous
A private user reviewed The Art of Self-Defense (2019)
It Had Me For A While
There were moments of The Art of Self-Defense that had me rolling. Unfortunately, as the film progresses, it starts to lose the mojo and really just limped to the finish line. Performance wise, Eisenberg and Nivola really own it. The film just gets a little too silly for my liking.