There’s nothing I love more than a good indie film, and The Art of Self Defense checked all the boxes for me this weekend. I had been anticipating this film for a while, so the fact that it finally came to a theater near me meant I had to take the drive to go see it. Yes, I was the only person in the theater, and frankly, that’s a travesty! Either way, here’s my take on this gem of a film.
You meet timid and meek Casey – played by the always awkwardly delightful Jesse Eisenberg – who is an accountant living a very safe and by the book life. One night he goes out to get his dog some more food when he is mugged and almost beaten to death. After this incident, you see that Casey is basically afraid to leave his house, so he decides to buy a gun. During the waiting period he walks by a karate dojo, and after watching a class take place, he decides to join.
The instructor, who goes solely by Sensei, seems to have a soft spot for Casey, but also lets him know that if he is afraid of life he needs to become more manly. This means listening to metal, being more assertive, and getting a tougher dog. So yes, underneath all the awkward, funny moments, this film also tackles toxic masculinity. This is further explored in the character, Anna (Imogen Poots), who is clearly one of the best students, but will “never earn a black belt,” and has a changing room in a supply closet.
The dialogue is staccato and odd and each scene seems like everything is deliberately and carefully chosen. I love this kind of film! The weirder, the better! And then this film took all that weird, awkwardness and then did some pretty bananas and bloody stuff! If you’ve got a soft spot for the strange, love Jesse Eisenberg, and are a karate fanatic, then you MUST go see The Art of Self Defense! Perhaps it’s the best I’ve seen all year (haven’t seen Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood yet, though).