Year: 2022 Runtime: 95 minutes Director and Writer: Riley Stearns Stars: Karen Gillan, Aaron Paul, Beulah Koale, Maiji Paunio By Morgan Roberts “Dual”(2022) is a witty and stylishly dark-humored film that is an examination of persevering past existential ennui. The film follows Sarah (Karen Gillan) as she learns she is terminally ill. Damn. But to save her family from the hole she will leave behind, … Continue reading Sundance 2022 Review: “Dual”
There’s no film from this year that is the perfect storm of incredible dark comedy and strong storytelling than the sophomore feature effort of writer/director Riley Stearns – “The Art of Self Defense”. The film, about a timid man attempting to find some self-confidence through learning karate only to discover the dark secrets of the local dojo he goes to, is just purely immaculate.
Right from the first scene, the film easily found a direct line to my funny bone and continued to rattle it with every wild and odd moment that comes from Casey’s (Jesse Eisenberg) experience with learning martial arts and the overtly serious nature of Sensei (Alessandro Nivola). Continue reading ITOL 2019 Round-up: The Art of Self-Defense
In Their Own League 