Sharper (2023) User Reviews

I liked this more than I expected to

[bk753 · 8/10 · 19 February 2023]

I have to stop coming here and using User Reviews as criteria for choosing a movie... I almost didn't watch this because the reviews were blah. But it's better than you'd think if you're just reading the opinions here. It's stylish and well thought out, and the ending was "sharper" than I thought it'd be. The acting is solid, the plot is appropriately twisty, it's not overdone in any way in cinematography or directing. It's just a crisp grifter story, and if you liked movies like "Confidence," I suspect you'll like this too.

If I had one minor complaint, it's that the con artists here aren't faced with a lot of dangerous resistance through most of the story, easily finding non-threatening marks... it all looks so easy. But, as Madeline says "practice," and you get really good at it. That said, I liked the movie.

Better than I expected.

[deloudelouvain · 8/10 · 9 March 2023]

Sharper didn't fail to entertain me. A perfect movie for a good evening in front of the big screen with a well written screenplay that keeps you interested in the story, and although it's a tiny bit predictable, well at least to me, it was still a good suspenseful mystery crime. It's about born con artists, about greed, about deception and betrayal, all good ingredients to make a decent movie. The acting was top and not only by the most famous actors. Everybody was believable with their performances and that's the main reason to watch this movie. The cinematography looked very professional. I wasn't expecting much of Sharper so I was pleasantly surprised.

Everyone acting like a film critic in these reviews.

[mikedameski · 8/10 · 23 February 2023]

If you want an easy watch at home with fun twists and great actors then I highly recommend this movie. It's 2023, do people really expect every movie to come out and be 100% original? Or based on real events? It was an entertaining, dramatized and fantasized movie about con's who obsess over money. Yes there was times where it was predictable but sometimes I found this fun to guess and get it right. I was also was very wrong with my predictions and was left surprised, In a good way.

Overall some of these reviews are way too critical for a movie that you can watch in the comfort of your own home. People saying the script was off but I have seen plenty of other movies with a much worse script than this. I would recommend watching it, don't listen to some of these reviews.

Who's conning whom exactly?

[paul-allaer · 6/10 · 22 February 2023]

As "Sharper" (2023 release; 116 min.) opens, we are introduced to "Tom". He runs (and owns?) a rare and used bookstore in Manhattan. A customer walks in, and we learn she is Sandra, a Ph. D. student at NYU. They hit it off, and Tom asks her out to dinner... At this point we are less than 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from British director Benjamin Caron. Here he brings us a psychological thriller in which a con plays out. The movie is super plot-heavy so I won't say another word about that, but I will make the general comment that it's frankly impossible to fully grasp who is conning whom exactly until the movie's last scene. In other words: you are watching a film where you have no idea what is going on as it is happening. Julianna Moore gets top billing but actually doesn't appear in the movie until about halfway through. John Lithow is her ultra-rich partner. Briana Middleton shines as Sandra. The movie is highly stylish, and at times comes across as neo-noir.

"Sharper" received a very limited 1 week US theatrical release and then started streaming on Apple TV this past weekend. I watched it just last night. If you are in the mood for a decent thriller that doesn't break any new ground, I'd readily suggest you check it out and draw your own conclusion.

A Stylish Thriller That Misses the Mark

[FilmFanatic2023 · 6/10 · 11 February 2023]

A stylish thriller that tries to mimic the style of an '80s David Mamet screenplay, but falls short in executing the tough-talking puzzle movie genre. The film follows the story of Tom, a soft-spoken young man played by Justice Smith, who falls for a beautiful woman named Sandra. But when Sandra reveals her brother is in trouble and needs a large sum of money, the story spirals into a series of cons and double-crosses.

While the film is enjoyable to watch, with a succession of betrayals and twists, the story and characters are shallowly drawn and the dialogue falls short of elevating the film beyond its foundation. The film also tries to be too stylish, with a sleek production and lack of danger, missing the gritty feel that is essential for a successful thriller.

Despite its flaws, "Sharper" is still a decent diversion for those who enjoy thrillers and the talented cast, especially newcomer Briana Middleton, delivers engaging performances. If you're looking for a movie that you can watch without too much thought and enjoy a series of twists, then "Sharper" is a good choice.

Interesting Premise That Could Use Some Sharpening

[nathangoffnett · 6/10 · 3 March 2023]

Sharper is a crime drama that follows four individuals involved in conspiracy, theft, and betrayal.

The plot follows a disjointed structure, where you spend four chapters with each of our main characters at different times in their lives. I really enjoyed this aspect as it made the narrative non-linear, forcing the audience to try to piece together the mystery as well as the chronological order of the film. This allure began to wear off after the third scene change, as it became quite predictable.

Our performances were pretty solid all around. Sebastian Stan is really good, and I am quite enjoying him in these more villainous roles, similar to his role in Fresh. Julian Moore and Briana Middleton were both highlights as well, their emotional range is fantastic. Justice Smith was okay at best.

Overall, this movie was an okay watch. It was paced pretty well for a two-hour runtime and had a lot of twists and turns throughout, even though the premise runs its course to absolute predictability by the third act.

Score: 64% Verdict: Decent.

Average film, A list cast

[RedMars2017 · 28 February 2023]

Strange film, this. Not as clever as it thinks it is, and unfortunately doesn't treat the audience as being clever at all. By the end, despite some good twists, it all felt so predictable and despite the writers' attempts, it wasn't all that clever. If you ask one question, it all crumbles and you're left with a forgettable plot-heavy vehicle with an A list cast (presumably Apple's money brings all the big stars to the yard, because it sure as hell wasn't the script).

Overall, enjoyable enough as a TV movie, but nobody to really root for and because of the lack of relatabl characters, it all feels empty. Welcome to Apple TV+. Money can buy you whoever you want, except the talent to write a coherent story.

Solid con man flick

[cardsrock · 7/10 · 11 July 2023]

You're not gonna see anything too groundbreaking here, but Sharper can provide some higher class thrills and intelligence. I found this film to be pretty intriguing. There's a suave style to the film that makes some of the expected story beats a little more fun. The cast is pretty noteworthy, with Sebastian Stan the standout in my opinion. He plays these mysterious characters well and is always a pleasure to watch.

This is a bit of a surprising film for A24 given it isn't quite as highbrow or bizarre as most of their stuff, but they do manage to class up a straightforward story a bit. Sharper won't blow you away with stunning plot twists, but it's a solid hit for Apple TV+.

I love twists. There are lots of twists.

[trinaboice · 7/10 · 1 November 2023]

IN A NUTSHELL: The screenplay was written by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, and was on the Blacklist of best-unproduced screenplays in 2020. It was directed by Benjamin Caron.

The story is about several con artists who take on some Manhattan billionaires.

We're told that a "sharper" is someone who lives by their wits.

THINGS I LIKED: The fantastic cast includes Julianne Moore, John Lithgow, Sebastian Stan, Justice Jesse Smith, and Briana Middleton. They all do an excellent job.

The challenge is for the film to outwit its audience without our seeing what's going to happen because it's so obvious.

I love twists. There are lots of twists.

The party scene features Grammy Award-winner Samara Joy!

The filmmaking is stylish.

One of the characters asked another one which was her favorite movie. What would be YOUR answer? Comment below!

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: There are a lot of characters and storylines to keep track of, especially as we try to figure out how everything worked.

Many conversations happen in whispers, often making it difficult to hear everything that's said.

It's helpful to know ahead of time that the story is not told in a chronological, linear way.

Acts 1 & 2 move fairly slowly but then speeds up in Act 3.

The movie thinks it's more clever than it really is.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored.

Unmarried couples sleep together.

Profanity, including quite a few F-bombs We see someone shoot and kill another person Bloody deaths.

!

Easily an 8 no idea what movie the lower ratings are for!!!

[adybullock · 8/10 · 15 June 2023]

This movie is clearly an 8, I suspect those giving it lower ratings can't appreciate a very well written character based film 🙄 cast is excellent and I only really worked out the twist as it happened. The story is split following each character in turn which helps develop the story as the film progresses and allows you to make the connections gradually revealing more info as you get into the film. If you are looking for action and large explosions don't bother but if you enjoy a good paced well written and crafted movie then go for it, you won't be disappointed. I really enjoyed it and for the life of me can't understand why it has an average of less than 7.

Flawed but entertaining.

[Perspicuity1 · 7/10 · 4 March 2023]

A well-made movie about con artists is always fun to watch, because it keeps you guessing throughout it's runtime with plenty of twists and turns and unexpected surprises; 'Sharper' is one such movie. This movie falls pretty much in the same genre as that of 'Now You See Me', a movie that I loved watching. I feel more such movies should to be made because they offer a lot of excitement to the viewer. With billions of videos turning up every day on YouTube, the viewers don't have the appetite to watch simple stories anymore, they want to be surprised, they wish to watch something unique, and movies like 'Sharper' offer them exactly that.

The acting performance of every single actor and actress was very good, with Julianne Moore and Sebastian Stan being the standout performers. It's unbelievable to see how gorgeous and sensuous Julianne looks even at this age; it goes without saying that she can easily give actresses half her age a run for their money. Sebastian Stan looked extremely sharp in every scene and reminded me of Agent Smith from 'The Matrix'. The movie made me completely believe that Max is a very smart person, which is why I found the final twist slightly difficult to digest. Towards the end, Max just turned into a cardboard character who just stood there doing nothing while his life was being shred into pieces. Also, Madeline going into panic mode and doing exactly what the 'security people' wanted her to do felt a little convenient.

The screenplay had me intrigued throughout because of all the twists and turns and also because it became impossible to trust anyone after a while as every single character turned grey. Apart from the final act, which felt a bit rushed, the movie does have enough to give you an enjoyable experience.

In a genre that is hard to succeed in these days, Sharper is a pretty good effort

[jtindahouse · 8/10 · 19 February 2023]

'Sharper' is my kind of movie. But there's a reason we don't get many of them these days, which I'll get to shortly. It saddens me but I also completely understand it. Still, this movie was a lot of fun and is the kind of film I'm happy to accept will never be perfect.

The problem with the con-artist genre was that the audience became too aware of every move in the playbook. I never call films predictable - and I detest it when people do, because a simple possibility running through your brain at some point in the run time and turning out to be correct does not make something predictable - however this is the kind of film where I can at least forgive that word being thrown around here and there.

Which is ironic because these films were basically designed to be the least predictable of all the genres. They were designed to hit you with a dozen twists, each more shocking than the last. But soon audiences caught on that everything was the opposite of what it seemed and suddenly the films weren't as fun any more.

So anyway, back to 'Sharper'. We see the film from each character's perspective in different segments. It's a really good format for a film like this. We are always getting new information, but we are also seeing information we thought we already knew from a different and altered point of view. It does a great job of keeping the audience invested and on their toes.

The film has good dialogue, a good cast and great pacing. The two hours will fly by even though there is almost nothing in the way of action sequences. For a genre that some might consider DOA, I think 'Sharper' was a pretty good all around effort. 8/10.

Loved it!

[Jim_Screechy · 7/10 · 19 February 2023]

The plot is fantastic, the performances range from good to superb, the direction is Good. I really enjoyed it. So why only 7/10 Well the script though good needs some tightening up in places, but the screenplay is were this movie really lets down the production. The plot is quite an intricate tale of intrigue, romance, deception, misdirection and drama. To do this well is difficult, and to do it convincingly requires a very tight screenplay with details of logic, procedure, and continuity dealt with exceptionally. Though there are not so much 'holes' in the plot, it creaks and groans at the seams here and there where the bonds of the story are not quite so tight.

Very strong performances all round though. Sebastian Stan who plays Max is good but not quite up to the requirements of this role. He is given an awful lot to do in this production, with a range of demands on his capabilities that slightly outweighs his deliverable repertoire. He handles some aspects excellently while others not quite so well. Given the script has some limitations in areas of his involvement, it is difficult to say if this is due entirely to his shortcomings, but certainly these are areas of weakness the movie displays.

Julianne Moore gives a good performance, but still doesn't seem quite as engaged as she's really needs to be to bring off this one with the engrossment needed for a stellar accolade. Particularly as her role really does place great demands on the delivery for her character. Brianna Middleton - Sandra, Justice Smith - Tom, John Lithgow - Richard Hobbes are fantastic, and the minor cast also do valid service to the requirements of the roles they hold.

You may find parts of the film dragging as I did, and irrespective of how much I was enjoying the movie, this is an aspect that really shouldn't be present in a film of this calibre... that is, given it is offering so much. The failings should have been dealt with and eradicated long before production as without doubt, minor changes in this one could have brought it up easily to a 9/10.

The length is about right for a film of this genre, and I was pretty much immersed, from beginning to end (aside from the issues I've already highlighted).

Anyway, Its probably still the best movie I've seen this year and a pleasant surprise given what's been available so far.

Definitely recommended viewing.

7/10 from me.

Stylish, good actors, dialogue fails

[imdb-23821 · 5/10 · 14 February 2023]

This is a stylish film. It has a very talented cast. The problem is that a con should not feel like a con and have the audience sense it. Madeline says that no one will notice the con when people don't look for it. But when things whizz by too quickly and people seem to be convinced when the audience isn't, the dialogue fails. And it does here. The finale was poor and unconvincing.

"Are you buying this?

No... I'm not buying it. It's quite clear what is going on and even the ending doesn't quite add up completely and goes one step too far. It provides a twist that doesn't add up and the pieces themselves are just too incredible and the dialogue and script doesn't sell them, except perhaps to the story teller.

As sharp as a butter knife

[greyfeatherd · 20 February 2023]

Might have been semi tolerable movie to while away the hours but the last 30 minutes ruin it.

No one with as "little" as 50 million is going to give a crap if some rando threatens to expose them.

Since Lithgow's character was of sound mind when he updated the will, the will stands. Also someone with 9 billion isn't going to notice or care if 350k goes missing.

And if they did they wouldn't write their offspring out of the will, they would put in all sort of terms for the will to satsify that their spawn would do better handling the money.

Really suggest an insult to anyone's intelligence.

Also a lot of reviwers keep claiming that super rich would vet and investigate people before dating them.

If Madeline and Max were smart enough, pass all background tests of course.

Plus as long as they've already gained entry into the society no one will start looking into them.

The writers clearly haven't been around rich people when it comes ot inheritances and legal trouble.

Was going well until disappointing end

[montymonvieux · 6/10 · 25 February 2023]

I was actually enjoying this film and expected to recommend it to friends. It held my attention almost until the ending which I found to be flat, leaving me with the feeling there were too many questions left unanswered. It had been going along so well and I didn't begin to question the motives of the characters until I had watched about three quarters of the film. The stylistic decisions were great-I appreciated the visual contrast of the environments of Tom's dusty, dimly lit bookstore and his father's slick and artificial looking, gold detailed apartment.

I wanted to know what became of Max and the gold digging stepmother. Wasn't she still trustee of the foundation and if so, wouldn't that leave Tom at further risk? I was disappointed that Tom left the bookstore with Sandra/Sandy at the end. If she had somehow been connected to Tom's plan to recoup his stolen inheritance the outcome would have felt more positive. I'm glad I watched it. The performances were believable and quite good, but I was pleased with the film's conclusion,

Great cons BUT has a flawed ending

[pannesi · 7/10 · 19 February 2023]

PLOT: Loved all the cons - even though when there are so many cons you start to learn the tricks and can anticipate each one. Also the ending left a huge loophole: Madelin still is the trustee. This leaves it open for her to con it all back or even a plot for a real murder of Tom- which with the resources she has could easily pull of without getting caught. So the ending wasn't satisfying to me. ACTING: it was well cast with some of my favorites Lithgow and Moore. OVERALL: If you like enjoy watching cons this has it. However, really successful con movies are hard to pull off without viewer expecting the cons and seeing the tell tale signs along the way.

Cinema Omnivore - Sharper (2023) 7.0/10

[lasttimeisaw · 7/10 · 8 March 2023]

"Old-fashioned" - also because it is all but chicanery without the usual trappings of malice or mayhem - but in a very bewitching way, SHARPER is a gorgeous-looking corker, Caron's posh and frictionless style weaves through the vignettes with poised adroitness, and every thespian is at the top of their game. In particular, newcomer Briana Middleton is a stunning unknown quantity in her Janus-faced transmutations; Sebastian Stan burnishes his rough edges with enough charisma to make the story credible, but the real deal is, irrefragably, Moore's delectable Madeleine, an acquisitive cougar with a kleptomaniac urge, who exudes an exquisite concoction of monstrosity and elegance, deception and self-disclosure. Scarcely could an actress age so gracefully and alluringly into her 60s, Moore is a touchstone of defying ageism and advocating the irrelevance between a woman's beauty and her age, SHARPER is another indicator that perhaps the best is yet to come for this beloved auburn goddess.

Read my full review on my blog: Cinema Omnivore, please google it, thanks.

Sophisticated and smart

[mj1884 · 7/10 · 26 August 2023]

I didn't know what to expect when I start watching "Sharper".

At first, it was like a romance, sweet drama movie, But as far as the story, go, you kind of like understand there is more then that.

The actors was very convincing and the storytelling Also bring this thing in good and in and continue each character from each point of view so it's very interesting to see and and and follow all the characters.

I like this movie it was smart sophisticated, interesting a lot of intention, and and also tension.

Recommend to see sharper and enjoy it don't expect anything. Just follow the story. Just enjoy your movie.

So close but ultimately couldn't stick the land

[pooz_the_gun · 6/10 · 19 August 2023]

Let me preface this review by stating that I'm a sucker for con movies with great twists. However, it is not easy to make such a movie since the enjoyment ultimately comes down to its finale and wether it's satisfactory. The grand final twist needs to be earned and believable while also unexpected.

Getting to this movie now, I really enjoyed the structure of it. The multiple POV angles style giving you more and more bread crumbs during it's runtime has been used a few times before. Sometimes more and sometimes less successfully.

The chapter structure here was great. From an intimate two person storyline it gets bigger by each added chapter with people and motives.

I was thinking at around 20 minutes before the ending that they'd only need to stick the landing and it could become one of my favorites in this Genre.

Unfortunately for me, it couldn't. Without saying anything spoilery, it just felt forced and out of place. The characters felt unlike themselves and behaved stupider and in general just different than they did before.

It's a shame, because I really enjoyed it up to that point. Overall, it's still a very nice thriller, with great direction, cinematography and acting. It's just not something special even though it could've been. Worth a watch once however.

A pretty good con movie.

[bsumner268-381-36581 · 8/10 · 18 February 2023]

Usually when a movie doesn't have a linear timeline I get distracted trying to figure out how everything fits together. However, I felt like this screenplay was very well crafted. Instead of being distracting, the device of telling the story from individual character's perspective and jumping around in time seemed to let the story unfold in a very natural way. Perhaps I'm not as well-versed in con movies as some other reviewers here, but I got so involved in the story that I honestly didn't see the final twist coming, and was very satisfied with how the movie ended. Finally, I felt the movie was very well acted, and I thought Julianne Moore did a particularly good job in her role. This movie is definitely worth a watch.

Good Enough

[PennyReviews · 7/10 · 5 March 2023]

" Sharper " is a thriller that nails it when it comes to the atmosphere. The presentation of the story was pretty interesting as well, being devided into stories that follow each character, all of which come together in the end, when the film reveals what was actually going on all along.

And even though the atmosphere is moody, aiding to the suspense and to the thriller, the actual story is so so, typical for its genre. Also, it would have been better if they had allowed the viewer to get to know the characters, as it would have helped with the feels that the movie wanted to pass through. However, as the characters remained mysterious and enigmatic, the story felt passive and out of touch. It probably would have worked better if this was a series rather than a movie.

Finally, the performances were smooth, as expected from a stellar cast. The costumes were nice as well.

A fun and suspensefully tense ride.

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 9/10 · 18 February 2023]

This was a really well put together film by a director and two co-writers that basically have only created TV movies and series. The real standout for me was the nonlinear narrative storytelling and introduction/background of each character. That way of story-telling is a huge risk and few can succeed filming this way, but these group of filmmakers made it work, and work well. The screenplay was sleek, smart and sophisticated. Each chapter elevates the previous one, and increases the already present scale of suspense and tension. There's enough twists and turns to make your head spin for the rest of the year. The story did have some plot and technical issues, especially in the final act, but everything leading up to the ending still stood out and impressed, especially if you just sit back and enjoy the ride instead of nitpicking minor details. The cinematography was outstanding, as was the score, and all casting and performances were spot-on and convincing. If you're a fan of Succession or Billions, this is right up your alley. A well deserved 9/10 from me.

not sharp enough

[a-03699 · 6/10 · 13 March 2023]

Good idea for a story and very good actors - but sadly the cons and twists are way too transparent and obvious, so there is basically no suspense. I'm not sure why that is, I don't think it was the actors' fault. Maybe the movie was trying a bit too hard to be smart and pack as many twists in as possible - but did not take the time to set the traps convincingly.

There was exactly one twist where they had me - when Max stated he doesn't watch movies. That was it, a minor side-detail. But Every single twist that was important to the storyline was entirely forseeable. So the exitement was out the window real quick - while the soundtrack desperately tried to emphasise tension that was not there in the first place...

"Sharper" is OK to watch to pass the time e.g. When on a plane - but not worth the time otherwise.

Entertaining, but nothing more

[josemijmlg · 4/10 · 14 February 2023]

The movie is entertaining for those days when you get bored at home you could even watch it twice but something is wrong, they want to be so creative and they invent some twists that in the end the viewer doesn't even find out until the end of the movie, the end of which It is quite poor for what was expected, the film has good settings, good backgrounds, good outfits and performances within what is acceptable, but it does not touch that scam that we wanted so much, the film leaves you with a taste in your mouth that you want more and he doesn't give it to you. The performances are decent, they put Julianne and Sebastian as the protagonists, however Brianna is one of the most interesting and stands out, the way of putting the film into parts is creative and ingenious. In conclusion, a normal movie with nothing beyond.