Jesse Eisenberg dives into karate in The Art of Self-Defense trailer

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

In THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE, Jesse Eisenberg plays a timid bookkeeper who is afraid of just about everything. Deciding to learn karate in order to protect himself, he soon  finds himself plunged into a sinister world of fraternity, brutality, and hyper-masculinity. Written and directed by Riley Stearns (FAULTS), the upcoming dark comedy also stars Alessandro Nivola (THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK) and Imogen Poots (I KILL GIANTS). It certainly looks like a lot of quirky fun, but we'll have to see just how dark this comedy will get.

The official synopsis for THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE:

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 will hit theaters in limited-release on July 12, 2019 before expanding on July 19, 2019.