A very black comedy/satire with Jesse Eisenberg once again playing a fish-out-of-water, socially awkward man — this time as a some sort of bookkeeper for an unnamed company in an era and place that are not identified — who takes up karate after he is the victim of a vicious mugging. Everyone in this story talks in a deadpan/robotic but always 100% truthful (if not always meaningful) way, which mostly, but not always, works well. The standard tale of a bully who takes up martial arts to defend himself is definitely not where this story heads. Even the scenes of violence (a good amount occurs of which takes place in the karate club) are infused with comedy. I have no doubt this will be one of the most unusual films I see this year.
