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Jesse Eisenberg learns The Art of Self-Defense in trailer for new dark comedy

May 23, 2019 by Amie Cranswick

A new trailer has been released for writer-director Riley Stearns’ dark comedy The Art of Self-Defense which stars Jesse Eisenberg as a timid bookkeeper who takes up Karate to defend himself after being attacked by a motorcycle gang; watch it here…

After he’s attacked on the street at night by a roving motorcycle gang, timid bookkeeper Casey (Jesse Eisenberg) joins a neighborhood karate studio to learn how to protect himself. Under the watchful eye of a charismatic instructor, Sensei (Alessandro Nivola), and hardcore brown belt Anna (Imogen Poots), Casey gains a newfound sense of confidence for the first time in his life. But when he attends Sensei’s mysterious night classes, he discovers a sinister world of fraternity, brutality and hyper-masculinity, presenting a journey that places him squarely in the sights of his enigmatic new mentor. Audacious and offbeat, The Art of Self-Defense is an original dark comedy that takes toxic masculinity to absurd extremes.

The Art of Self-Defense is set for release on July 12th.

Originally published May 23, 2019. Updated May 22, 2019.

Filed Under: Amie Cranswick, Movies, News, Trailers Tagged With: Alessandro Nivola, Imogen Poots, Jesse Eisenberg, Riley Stearns, The Art of Self Defense

About Amie Cranswick

Amie Cranswick has been part of Flickering Myth's editorial team for over a decade. She has a background in publishing and copyediting and has served as Executive Editor of FlickeringMyth.com since 2020.

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