Episode 739 - The Art of Self-Defense (2019)

Hi everyone!

Welcome back for our last two weeks of One Movie Punch for first quarter. We’re wrapping up the quarter with a bunch of great films from your favorite critics. Today, I’ll be reviewing THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE and talking about toxic dojos. And tomorrow, I’ll be reviewing ONWARD, the latest Pixar offering. On Tuesday, Jon-David returns with 2020 Golden Globe nominee MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN. On Wednesday, Shane Hyde returns with his review of THE GREAT HACK, a real-life horror story happening right now. On Thursday, Christina Eldridge returns with a review of TOKYO GODFATHERS, recently remastered and released back in theaters by GKIDS. On Friday, Andrew reviews SWALLOW, another Fantastic Fest indie pickup in theaters. And on Saturday, I’ll return with a review of LETO, a Russian film about the band Kino, as part of our Under the Kanopy series.

Over on our Patreon page, at patreon.com/onemoviepunch we just posted our full interview with Swedish filmmaker Jimmy Olsson, where we talk about his latest short film ALIVE, his upcoming feature film SECOND CLASS, and about ableism and representation in cinema. It’s a short interview, but we were glad he could make the time. You can check out our review for ALIVE in Episode #735 from last week.

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Here we go!

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Today’s movie is THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE (2019), the dark comedy written and directed by Riley Stearns. Casey (Jesse Eisenberg) is an introverted accountant, who struggles to connect with other people, and lives alone with his lap dog. But when his worst fears come true one evening, leaving him beaten nearly to death, he enrolls at the local karate dojo to learn the art of self-defense. And ends up learning a whole lot more.

No spoilers.

Content warnings for abusive relationships.

When folks think about martial arts, they generally see it through one of two lenses. First, the rise in mixed martial arts and other fighting competitions, where two individuals square off following a strict set of rules. Second, the immense library of well-choreographed martial arts films, often more effective at entertaining audiences than in actual combat. Both lenses give parts of the truth about the martial arts, and often serve as a draw for potential students, but fantasy and reality are often two very different things. Films like the IP MAN franchise have helped to show the more realistic origins of modern martial arts schools, and have also lead to confronting the more shameful and abusive practices within some historical and modern martial arts schools.

Of course, the lens through which I learned about martial arts was THE KARATE KID (Episode #278), probably the most famous film about toxic dojos, and a clear influence on today’s film. THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE takes a closer, darker look at martial arts, specifically at the dojo or gym level, with a dojo that is like Cobra Kai on steroids. Male-dominated, highly hierarchical, and lead by a very toxic Sensei (Alessandro Nivola). Casey’s quest to learn how to defend himself becomes our journey into just about every toxic aspect of modern dojos.

THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE isn’t just about toxic dojos, but the kind of students that are attracted to these locations. Casey is the timid beta male looking to not just defend himself, but to gain confidence in his everyday life, a claim often made by martial arts schools. And it’s true, most martial arts students do gain a sense of self-confidence after learning the basics, or as we learn in Casey’s case, perhaps too much confidence. Jesse Eisenberg plays this role well, a familiar kind of role given his filmography, but by no means his entire range. Anyone who has been bullied in school or in the workplace will easily empathize with Casey, especially his faults, and may even live vicariously through him.

Another kind of student drawn to toxic dojos are those who are looking to prove themselves. Imogen Poots plays Anna, a brown belt children’s instructor who tries to help Casey assimilate to the dojo, but also feels frustrated as men keep earning their black belt before her, despite her having the skills. Anna also gets to represent the feeling of being a woman within a male-dominated, testosterone-fueled community, subjected to all kinds of direct and indirect sexism. It’s another real problem with the larger martial arts community, something experienced to a greater or lesser degree by every woman training in martial arts, in much the same ways that women experience sexism in the larger community to different degrees. Poots does great work with Anna’s character, from start to finish.

Riley Stearns loves to play with light and darkness throughout the film, with the amount of light within a particular scene being an indicator of how much danger is present. We actually get to see this directly between the day and night class at the dojo as well. Stearns also uses more distinct colors within the martial arts community, particularly the belts, and using more drab colors and filters for the world outside the dojo, or in Casey’s home. The film is very well put together, even when it goes to very dark places, and absolutely lands more than a few clever jokes as it wraps up.

However, THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE is definitely not a recruitment story like THE KARATE KID, and it’s here where I have most of my problems with the film. I think this film does a great job at exploring the concept of toxic dojos, and raising a lot of issues within the martial arts community when it comes to abusive relationships. I know a lot of MMA gyms have become recruitment grounds for hate organizations, mostly by forming relationships as seen in today’s film. But I also know a lot of dojos and communities that are not abusive or exploitative. My experience practicing Aikido for the past two years has been nothing but supportive, and many communities are evolving past abusive teaching methods. And I do think that folks like Casey, when finding the right community, can radically improve their lives through not becoming a prisoner of their own fears. THE KARATE KID gave us both kinds of relationships, but THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE only gives us one, and the worst one at that.

THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE is a dark comedy about toxic martial arts schools, as told through a dark journey by one timid accountant, well played by Jesse Eisenberg, and well supported by Imogen Poots. Riley Stearns delivers a well put together film, with a story that truly punches with its feet and kicks with its hands. Martial arts fans, or fans of dark comedies, should definitely check out this film, but beware that it is NOT a recruitment tool.

Rotten Tomatoes: 84% (CERTIFIED FRESH)

Metacritic: 65 

One Movie Punch: 8.0/10

THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE (2019) is rated R and is currently playing on Hulu and Kanopy.