The Art of Self Defense (2019) Review

The Art of Self Defense (2019)

The Art of Self Defense follows Casey Davies, who, after getting jumped by a biker gang, joins a self defense karate class, where he develops an unhealthy bond with the dojo’s unstable sensei. 

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if Wes Anderson tried to make a Karate Kid movie? Well, neither have I. But in the slim chance you have (you’re definitely lying), then look no further than The Art of a Self Defense, an artistic, so-awkward-it’s-funny, dark comedy about one man’s bid to regain his masculinity in light of his brutal mugging. In most media, there’s this hilarious cliché where when a character joins karate, they essentially join what I like to call the cult of karate, where it takes over every aspect of their waking life. Here, that notion is taken to whole new heights because for Casey, while it has obviously given him a purpose, it also dominates his life inside the dojo and out. 

It’s taken so far, the cult of karate idea, that most of The Art of Self Defense’s third act just becomes this insane, revelatory twist, where Casey’s initial mugging by the motorcycle gang was a really an act of dominance, to push him toward karate and indoctrinate him into their 'cult'. It’s wild and all taken so far in the name of un-pussy-fying the weak, in what acts as serious statement on the dangers of toxic masculinity. 

We also get a very capable cast, starring Steve Terada, Phillip Andre Botello, David Zellner, Imogen Poots, Alessandro Nivola, and Jesse Eisenberg. Eisenberg is his typical awkward self, a role that desperately needs that, but it’s Nivola, who brings so much restrained, uber masculinity (without being the slightest bit funny) to his role that keeps this film so damn engaging with every scene. 

The Art of Self Defense, directed by Riley Stearns, is such an odd film, full of so many ridiculous twist and turns, that employs the cult of karate idea to the max, something very relevant now with the reemergence of karate related media like Cobra Kai and it’s outdated themes of masculinity. 

8.3/10