Watch 3 New Clips from THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Imogen Poots

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 new official clips from 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 opens in select theaters today, July 12, and nationwide on July 19, 2019.

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. Audacious and offbeat, The Art of Self-Defense is an original dark comedy that takes toxic masculinity to absurd extremes.