When a middle-aged, unassuming accountant, Casey Davies (Jesse Eisenberg), is attacked at random on his way to buy his dog some food, he determines that self-defense classes are necessary to protect himself. As he journeys through these classes, he finds himself surrounded by characters unlike any he had ever met before. These characters prove to be a bit more odd and more cunning than they appear on the surface. Casey will have to face his fears and defend himself from the evils of the world, the people surrounding him and himself.
This was intentionally one of the most uncomfortable films made in the past five years. The actors were ironically bad throughout the entire film and possessed an awkwardness that was unlike anything seen before. Interestingly, writer and director Riley Stearns was able to draw on audiences’ anxiety as the dialogue was spoken slowly, and much of what happened took place at a snail’s pace throughout the first half of the film. The three leads were beautifully dull and very purposefully lacking in their delivery. Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola (Sensei) and Imogen Poots (Anna) were simply bad. They managed to antagonize the audience with their nauseating dialogue and ridiculously ameatuer acting, and, somehow, they made the audience want more. They completely lacked emotion, even in the most dramatic moments, and they depicted a sense of numbness in each and every scene, making audiences question their character and ask if it is possible for the film to get even worse.
Even more than just the acting, it seemed that every aspect of this film was done ironically. Sensei's karate dojo is called “karate,” the local bar is called “bar” and Casey’s dog eats a dog food brand called “dog food.” Everything about this film was meant to be agonizingly simple. It forced audiences to ask questions not only about the plot, but about Stearns’ goals and his expectations for the film. Every minute of the film dug audiences deeper into a metaphorical pit of despair as they struggled to understand why they could not avert their eyes and why they could not help but want more. This seemingly endless cycle of nonsense engrossed audiences and kept them hooked from beginning to end. Stearns’ unique approach to filmmaking is one of a kind and is truly commendable.
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