Jesse Eisenberg’s acting nods to his kind of signature wry appeal seen in films like Zombieland, The Social Network and even American Ultra. More can be seen in the official trailer for Riley Stearns’ new film, The Art Of Self-Defense, which I can safely say bodes as more black in its comedy than I thought.
Evan Saathoff at BirthMoviesDeath brought the exclusive footage from Bleecker Street Media ahead of the film’s forthcoming premiere at this month’s SXSW. It has a festival poster to accommodate its screening as well which you can take a gander at just beneath, and it was done quite brilliantly at that.
A dark comedy set in the world of karate. The film centers on Casey (Jesse Eisenberg), who is attacked at random on the street and enlists in a local dojo led by a charismatic and mysterious Sensei (Alessandro Nivola), in an effort to learn how to defend himself. What he uncovers is a sinister world of fraternity, violence and hypermasculinity and a woman (Imogen Poots) fighting for her place in it. Casey undertakes a journey, both frightening and darkly funny, that will place him squarely in the sights of his enigmatic new mentor.
