As "Sharper" (2023 release; 116 min.) opens, we are introduced to "Tom". He runs (and owns?) a rare and used bookstore in Manhattan. A customer walks in, and we learn she is Sandra, a Ph. D. student at NYU. They hit it off, and Tom asks her out to dinner... At this point we are less than 10 minutes into the movie.
Couple of comments: this is the latest from British director Benjamin Caron. Here he brings us a psychological thriller in which a con plays out. The movie is super plot-heavy so I won't say another word about that, but I will make the general comment that it's frankly impossible to fully grasp who is conning whom exactly until the movie's last scene. In other words: you are watching a film where you have no idea what is going on as it is happening. Julianna Moore gets top billing but actually doesn't appear in the movie until about halfway through. John Lithow is her ultra-rich partner. Briana Middleton shines as Sandra. The movie is highly stylish, and at times comes across as neo-noir.
"Sharper" received a very limited 1 week US theatrical release and then started streaming on Apple TV this past weekend. I watched it just last night. If you are in the mood for a decent thriller that doesn't break any new ground, I'd readily suggest you check it out and draw your own conclusion.
