The Art of Self-Defense

...a dark comedy that’s equal parts amusing and disturbing.

The dojo of this film is the ultimate unsafe space, a place of deadpan irony and appalling brutality.

This is a movie that is funniest when it isn’t trying to be funny at all.

...the perfectly cast Eisenberg is the movie's key; he fits this role like a comfortable karate gi, fearlessly embracing an inner weakness and making it all the more satisfying when confidence comes shining through.

...the powerful performances of Eisenberg and Nivola take so many twists and turns that predictability is held at bay for longer than you’d guess.