The Art of Self Defense - Fantasia 2019 Movie Review

The Movie: The Art of Self Defense

The Director: Riley Stearns

The Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Imogen Poots, Alessandro Nivola, Steve Terada, David Zellner

The Story: A man is attacked at random on the street. He enlists at a local dojo, led by a charismatic and mysterious sensei, in an effort to learn how to defend himself.

The Art of Self Defense - SIFF 2019 Capsule Review

The Movie: The Art of Self Defense

The Director: Riley Stearns

The Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Imogen Poots, Alessandro Nivola, Steve Terada, David Zellner

The Story: A man is attacked at random on the street. He enlists at a local dojo, led by a charismatic and mysterious sensei, in an effort to learn how to defend himself.

The Review:
So, you're looking for a dark, dry comedy filled with social satire? This movie does all of that brilliantly and so much more and features a performance from Jesse Eisenberg that will make you think he was born to play this role. This is the second full length feature from Riley Stearns and it is one you do not want to miss.


The Art of Self Defense is an official selection of the 2019 Seattle International Film Festival.


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