The Art of Self Defense Examines Toxic Masculinity

The Art of Self Defense features Jesse Eisenberg as Casey, an awkward and anxious man who signs up for classes at his local karate dojo led by a chauvinistic and eccentric sensei. After years of being mocked for being himself and a particularly traumatic event, Casey decides he wants to become what he's afraid of. So, he sets forth in doing just that, and slowly works on transforming himself into the same type of men who have belittled him and tormented him for his entire life.

It's a strange combination of Napoleon Dynamite and John Wick, but with more of a message to deliver than either of them. The Art of Self Defense aims to help its audiences understand what toxic masculinity is, and that it's not some inherent trait every masculine man has. When masculinity turns toxic it takes the form of men picking fights with one another over a glance or bad parking job, it turns into men who harm and harass women just because they can. I, like many other women, have endured frightening cat calls, been spat on and called a bitch by complete strangers, been leered at and told I wouldn't make it home safely that night, and when I was sixteen a middle aged man screamed "shake that ass bitch" outside his car window at me. All of these occurrences happened because of men, and they happened because of men who were shaped by a poisoned version of masculinity based on what they've seen in media all around them as opposed to the natural masculinity decent men form through strong bonds with other good men. Masculinity is not always toxic, but when a man grows up without a strong depiction of how to navigate their sex and the inherent power that comes with it in a positive way, their feelings become something forbidden and something that must be buried deep.

The Art of Self Defense is a quirky film with purposefully flat dialogue, a somewhat muted color palette, and an overarching sense of dread. Casey is a man, but he's not the sort of man that the world expects him to be. So, he drops his hobbies and favorite music, and he shapes himself into what he thinks society wants. Of course, he starts to learn that this isn't what society needs. In fact, it's not even what he really wants, he's simply making himself into what the world has convinced him he should be. From his feminine name to his love of France, Casey is deemed too feminine to be a Real Man by his toxic, sexist, and hateful peers.

I've purposefully kept this blog post vague in order to avoid spoiling the film, because it really is a phenomenal character study and Stearns is a fantastic director who knows how to fluctuate between the serious and the comedic without much effort (and without giving the audience a sense of emotional whiplash). Given the subject matter it's a graphic movie, particularly in terms of language and violence, but it's also a very important movie that I implore you to watch.

The Art of Self Defense is available on Amazon Prime Video, the Google Play Store, and Vudu.