Imogen Poots (left) as "Anna" and Jesse Eisenberg (right) as “Casey” in writer/director Riley Stearn’s THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE, a Bleecker Street release. Credit: Bleecker Street
Imogen Poots (left) as “Anna” and Jesse Eisenberg (right) as “Casey” in writer/director Riley Stearn’s THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE, a Bleecker Street release.Credit: Bleecker Street

Bleecker Street released the new official trailer for the dark comedy The Art of Self-Defense, directed by Riley Stearns, and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, along with Imogen Poots. The Art of Self-Defense which premiered earlier this year at SXSW 2019 will open in select theaters on July 12, and nationwide on July 19, 2019.

Jesse Eisenberg stars as timid bookkeeper Casey who joins a neighborhood karate studio to learn how to protect himself, after he’s attacked on the street at night by a roving motorcycle gang. 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.

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