The Art of Self-Defense (2019)
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- R
- 1h 44min
- Comedy, Crime
- 19 Jul 2019 (USA)
- Movie
After being attacked on the street, a young man enlists at a local dojo, led by a charismatic and mysterious sensei, in an effort to learn how to defend himself from future threats.
Director:
Writer:
Awards:
- 5 nominations.
- See more »
Reviews:
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
| Jesse Eisenberg | ... |
Casey
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| Alessandro Nivola | ... |
Sensei
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| Imogen Poots | ... |
Anna
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| Steve Terada | ... |
Thomas
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| David Zellner | ... |
Henry
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| Phillip Andre Botello | ... |
Kennith
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| Jason Burkey | ... |
Alex
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Mike Brooks | ... |
Steve
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| C.J. Rush | ... |
Other Steve
(as CJ Rush)
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| Davey Johnson | ... |
Gun Store Owner
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| Hauke Bahr | ... |
Grant
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Katherine Martin | ... |
Bakery Woman
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Cameron Murphy | ... |
New White Belt
(as Patrick Cameron Murphy)
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Nicholas Hulstine | ... |
Pickup Truck Driver
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Lena Friedrich | ... |
French Girl
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Louis Robert Thompson | ... |
Veterinarian
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| Dallas Edwards | ... |
Manuel
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| Katherine Smith-Rodden | ... |
Store Cashier
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Frederic Spitz | ... |
French Guy
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Alex Haydon | ... |
Man Wearing Pants
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| Mark Sawyer-Dailey | ... |
Man Reading Newspaper
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| Leland Orser | ... |
Detective McAllister
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| Josh Fadem | ... |
Serial Killer
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Scott Goodman | ... |
Drunk Man
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| Justin Eaton | ... |
Lone Man
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Mocha the Dog | ... |
Casey's Dog
(as Mocha)
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Roman | ... |
Casey's Next Dog
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Caroline Amiguet | ... |
French Audio Instructor (voice)
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Apollo Bacala | ... |
Karate Day Class Student (uncredited)
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Will Ellis Jr. | ... |
Night Class Student (uncredited)
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| John French | ... |
Office Worker (uncredited)
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Kinsley Ramey | ... |
Martial Arts Student (uncredited)
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Gina Fountain Schneider | ... |
Mom in Car (uncredited)
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Matthew T. Schneider | ... |
Son in Car (uncredited)
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Molly E. Schneider | ... |
Daughter in Car (uncredited)
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Sarah Beth Shapiro | ... |
Answering Machine (uncredited)
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Daniel H. Shoemaker | ... |
Karate Class Day Student (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Riley Stearns | ||
Written by
| Riley Stearns | ... | (written by) |
Produced by
| Camille Bertrand | ... | co-producer |
| Lisa Ciuffetti | ... | co-producer |
| Andrew Karpen | ... | executive producer |
| Andrew Kortschak | ... | producer |
| Walter Kortschak | ... | producer |
| Munika Lay | ... | executive producer |
| Cody Ryder | ... | producer |
| Kent Sanderson | ... | executive producer |
| Stephanie Whonsetler | ... | producer |
| David Zellner | ... | executive producer |
| Nathan Zellner | ... | executive producer |
Music by
| Heather McIntosh | ||
Cinematography by
| Michael Ragen | ||
Editing by
| Sarah Beth Shapiro | ||
Editorial Department
| Jim Chaliz | ... | assistant editor |
| Casey Curtiss | ... | assistant editor |
| Byron Filler | ... | on-line editor |
| Darin Wooldridge | ... | colorist |
Production Design by
| Charlotte Royer | ||
Art Direction by
| Chad Blevins | ||
Set Decoration by
| Emily Blevins | ||
Costume Design by
| Jami Villers | ||
Makeup Department
| Amy L. Forsythe | ... | makeup department head (as Amy Forsythe) / special makeup effects designer (as Amy Forsythe) |
| Elissa Ruminer | ... | hair department head / key makeup artist: additional unit, Los Angeles |
| Toby Sells | ... | prosthetics designer: Toby Sells Creature Makeup FX Shop / special makeup effects artist |
| Aaron Worman | ... | key makeup artist / special makeup effects artist |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Stephanie Adams | ... | second assistant director |
| Siena Brown | ... | first assistant director |
| Diletta Di Nicolantonio | ... | assistant director |
Art Department
| Katie Blackburn | ... | props |
| Matthew Killinder | ... | special construction consultant |
| J. Ryan McCleney | ... | construction coordinator |
| Becca Morrin | ... | set dresser |
| Gregory Sheppard | ... | graphic designer |
| Johnny Spanish | ... | art department coordinator |
| John Travisano | ... | carpenter |
| Jacob Weaver | ... | lead man |
Sound Department
| Tash Ann | ... | boom operator |
| Lorita de la Cerna | ... | foley artist |
| Rob Embrey | ... | post sound coordinator |
| Demetri Evdoxiadis | ... | re-recording mixer / supervising sound editor |
| Zack Goldsborough | ... | sound recordist |
| Jackie Johnson | ... | dialogue editor |
| Alexander Jongbloed | ... | foley editor |
| Jacob Ortiz | ... | adr mixer |
| Raymond Park | ... | sound effects editor |
| Chris Polczinski | ... | sound mixer |
| Jason Stare | ... | boom operator: additional unit / sound mixer: additional unit |
| Michael Toji | ... | VP: Post Production Services |
| Brian S.M. Wroth | ... | dialogue editor |
Special Effects by
| Wayne Beauchamp | ... | special effects coordinator |
Visual Effects by
| May Satsuki Asai | ... | visual effects artist |
| Casey Curtiss | ... | digital compositor |
Stunts
| Heather Bonomo | ... | stunts |
| Nick DeKay | ... | stunts: motorcycle |
| Justin Eaton | ... | utility stunts |
| Josh Fried | ... | stunt double: Jesse Eisenberg and Allesandro Nivola |
| Mindy Kelly | ... | action designer / fight choreography / martial arts trainer / stunt coordinator |
| Ross Kohnstam | ... | stunts |
| Mik Luxon | ... | live action previsualization |
| Dan Mast | ... | stunt driver |
| T. Ryan Mooney | ... | Jesse Eisenberg / stunt double: Jesse Eisenberg |
| John Ross | ... | stunt rigger |
| Nikki Stanley | ... | stunt double: Imogen Poots |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Eliot Brown | ... | best boy electric |
| Tyler Buchholz | ... | key grip |
| Derrick Cohan | ... | Digital Image Technician: los angeles unit |
| Zachary Erwin | ... | electrician |
| Howard Fox | ... | dolly grip / grip |
| Brandt Hackney | ... | electrician |
| Jared Hardy | ... | digital imaging technician |
| Isaac Harrison | ... | still photographer |
| David Lowe | ... | dolly grip (as David Sherman Lowe Jr.) |
| Geoffrey Storts | ... | first assistant camera (as Geoff Storts) |
| Matt Ware | ... | gaffer |
| Daniel Williamson | ... | best boy grip |
Casting Department
| Chad Broskey | ... | location casting |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Tora Eff | ... | assistant costume designer |
| Hannabelle Farrell | ... | key costumer |
Location Management
| Max Fogle | ... | location production assistant |
| Melody Peace | ... | location assistant |
| Adam Snyder | ... | location scout |
| Jane Streeter | ... | location manager |
Music Department
| Mary Lattimore | ... | musician: harp |
| Heather McIntosh | ... | musician: cello, bass & electronics |
| Leah Paul | ... | musician: flute, clarinet |
| Dylan Ryan | ... | musician: percussion |
| Sasha Smith | ... | musician: keyboards |
| Genevieve Vincent | ... | Technical Music Assistant |
Script and Continuity Department
| Brett Durbin | ... | script supervisor |
Transportation Department
| Carlos Beguiristain | ... | driver |
| Todd Martinez | ... | transportation captain |
| Kevin Sieve | ... | transportation coordinator |
Additional Crew
| Cristina Arteaga | ... | assistant production coordinator |
| Kathlene Ashcraft | ... | production assistant |
| Rachel Bomkamp | ... | office production assistant |
| Chenney Chen | ... | production coordinator |
| Stacie Conard | ... | set medic |
| Jennifer Day | ... | production assistant |
| Josephine Dongbang | ... | production legal |
| Hallie Eisenberg | ... | assistant to the producers |
| Kasey Faye | ... | first assistant accountant |
| Isaac Harrison | ... | production assistant |
| Graham Lawyer | ... | key set production assistant |
| C.J. Rush | ... | studio teacher |
| Bill Wingate | ... | production accountant |
| Sarah Turner Holland | ... | stand-in: Anna (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Bleecker Street Media (2019) (United States) (theatrical)
- Photon Films and Media (2019) (Canada) (theatrical)
- HBO Zone (2023) (United States) (tv)
- Umbrella Entertainment (2020) (Australia) (DVD)
- Umbrella Entertainment (2020) (New Zealand) (DVD)
- Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2019) (Australia)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Fintage CAM (collection account management)
- Hula Post (color correction & audio)
- Monkeyland Audio (post-production sound services)
- Monkeyland Audio (re-recorded at)
- Red Star Pictures (grip and lighting equipment)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
After he's attacked on the street at night by a roving motorcycle gang, timid bookkeeper Casey (Jesse Eisenberg) joins a neighborhood karate studio to learn how to protect himself. Under the watchful eye of a charismatic instructor, Sensei (Alessandro Nivola), and hardcore brown belt Anna (Imogen Poots), Casey gains a newfound sense of confidence for the first time in his life. But when he attends Sensei's mysterious night classes, he discovers a sinister world of fraternity, brutality and hyper-masculinity, presenting a journey that places him squarely in the sights of his enigmatic new mentor. Written by Bleecker Street |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | You can't be weak anymore. See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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| Official Sites | |
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| Filming Locations |
Box Office
| Opening Weekend United States | $114,374, 14 Jul 2019 |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Writer and director Riley Stearns trains and teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. See more » |
| Goofs | This post was political and added nothing to the movie experience. Not sure how it made it past review. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Jesse Eisenberg/Emily Deschanel/Kate Tempest/Raghav Mehrotra (2019). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Can You Hear Me Now? See more » |
| Crazy Credits | At the beginning of the end credits, the show's "title logo" is shown in a "black metal" font, mirroring the front cover of the CD Casey buys (albeit in yellow). See more » |
| Quotes |
Sensei:
[regarding the belt Casey gave him]
Not only does it represent my black belt in karate but it also helps keep my pants up. See more » |