User reviews

Sharper didn't fail to entertain me. A perfect movie for a good evening in front of the big screen with a well written screenplay that keeps you interested in the story, and although it's a tiny bit predictable, well at least to me, it was still a good suspenseful mystery crime. It's about born con artists, about greed, about deception and betrayal, all good ingredients to make a decent movie. The acting was top and not only by the most famous actors. Everybody was believable with their performances and that's the main reason to watch this movie. The cinematography looked very professional. I wasn't expecting much of Sharper so I was pleasantly surprised.

I have to stop coming here and using User Reviews as criteria for choosing a movie... I almost didn't watch this because the reviews were blah. But it's better than you'd think if you're just reading the opinions here. It's stylish and well thought out, and the ending was "sharper" than I thought it'd be. The acting is solid, the plot is appropriately twisty, it's not overdone in any way in cinematography or directing. It's just a crisp grifter story, and if you liked movies like "Confidence," I suspect you'll like this too.

If I had one minor complaint, it's that the con artists here aren't faced with a lot of dangerous resistance through most of the story, easily finding non-threatening marks... it all looks so easy. But, as Madeline says "practice," and you get really good at it. That said, I liked the movie.

If you want an easy watch at home with fun twists and great actors then I highly recommend this movie. It's 2023, do people really expect every movie to come out and be 100% original? Or based on real events? It was an entertaining, dramatized and fantasized movie about con's who obsess over money. Yes there was times where it was predictable but sometimes I found this fun to guess and get it right. I was also was very wrong with my predictions and was left surprised, In a good way.

Overall some of these reviews are way too critical for a movie that you can watch in the comfort of your own home. People saying the script was off but I have seen plenty of other movies with a much worse script than this. I would recommend watching it, don't listen to some of these reviews.

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.

You're not gonna see anything too groundbreaking here, but Sharper can provide some higher class thrills and intelligence. I found this film to be pretty intriguing. There's a suave style to the film that makes some of the expected story beats a little more fun. The cast is pretty noteworthy, with Sebastian Stan the standout in my opinion. He plays these mysterious characters well and is always a pleasure to watch.

This is a bit of a surprising film for A24 given it isn't quite as highbrow or bizarre as most of their stuff, but they do manage to class up a straightforward story a bit. Sharper won't blow you away with stunning plot twists, but it's a solid hit for Apple TV+.

Sharper is a crime drama that follows four individuals involved in conspiracy, theft, and betrayal.

The plot follows a disjointed structure, where you spend four chapters with each of our main characters at different times in their lives. I really enjoyed this aspect as it made the narrative non-linear, forcing the audience to try to piece together the mystery as well as the chronological order of the film. This allure began to wear off after the third scene change, as it became quite predictable.

Our performances were pretty solid all around. Sebastian Stan is really good, and I am quite enjoying him in these more villainous roles, similar to his role in Fresh. Julian Moore and Briana Middleton were both highlights as well, their emotional range is fantastic. Justice Smith was okay at best.

Overall, this movie was an okay watch. It was paced pretty well for a two-hour runtime and had a lot of twists and turns throughout, even though the premise runs its course to absolute predictability by the third act.

Score: 64% Verdict: Decent.

A stylish thriller that tries to mimic the style of an '80s David Mamet screenplay, but falls short in executing the tough-talking puzzle movie genre. The film follows the story of Tom, a soft-spoken young man played by Justice Smith, who falls for a beautiful woman named Sandra. But when Sandra reveals her brother is in trouble and needs a large sum of money, the story spirals into a series of cons and double-crosses.

While the film is enjoyable to watch, with a succession of betrayals and twists, the story and characters are shallowly drawn and the dialogue falls short of elevating the film beyond its foundation. The film also tries to be too stylish, with a sleek production and lack of danger, missing the gritty feel that is essential for a successful thriller.

Despite its flaws, "Sharper" is still a decent diversion for those who enjoy thrillers and the talented cast, especially newcomer Briana Middleton, delivers engaging performances. If you're looking for a movie that you can watch without too much thought and enjoy a series of twists, then "Sharper" is a good choice.

Ignore the critics, this is a wonderfully entertaining thriller with more twists than a Coney-Island roller-coaster! All of the cast are *excellent* in their roles, and, while you can sorta see the end coming, it doesn't make it any less fun. Yes, the final twist is a bit over-the-top (and no, it wouldn't even remotely work in real-life), but don't let that stop you from watching this movie. A Mametesque (there, I had to say it) mash-up of Spanish prisoner meets House of Games by way of Perfect Murder, (and yes, there are a number of Hitchcockian psychological turns that make everything worthwhile.) See it with friends, while sipping a young, impetuous, spicy cab or merlot...

'Sharper' is my kind of movie. But there's a reason we don't get many of them these days, which I'll get to shortly. It saddens me but I also completely understand it. Still, this movie was a lot of fun and is the kind of film I'm happy to accept will never be perfect.

The problem with the con-artist genre was that the audience became too aware of every move in the playbook. I never call films predictable - and I detest it when people do, because a simple possibility running through your brain at some point in the run time and turning out to be correct does not make something predictable - however this is the kind of film where I can at least forgive that word being thrown around here and there.

Which is ironic because these films were basically designed to be the least predictable of all the genres. They were designed to hit you with a dozen twists, each more shocking than the last. But soon audiences caught on that everything was the opposite of what it seemed and suddenly the films weren't as fun any more.

So anyway, back to 'Sharper'. We see the film from each character's perspective in different segments. It's a really good format for a film like this. We are always getting new information, but we are also seeing information we thought we already knew from a different and altered point of view. It does a great job of keeping the audience invested and on their toes.

The film has good dialogue, a good cast and great pacing. The two hours will fly by even though there is almost nothing in the way of action sequences. For a genre that some might consider DOA, I think 'Sharper' was a pretty good all around effort. 8/10.

This movie is clearly an 8, I suspect those giving it lower ratings can't appreciate a very well written character based film 🙄 cast is excellent and I only really worked out the twist as it happened. The story is split following each character in turn which helps develop the story as the film progresses and allows you to make the connections gradually revealing more info as you get into the film. If you are looking for action and large explosions don't bother but if you enjoy a good paced well written and crafted movie then go for it, you won't be disappointed. I really enjoyed it and for the life of me can't understand why it has an average of less than 7.

IN A NUTSHELL: The screenplay was written by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, and was on the Blacklist of best-unproduced screenplays in 2020. It was directed by Benjamin Caron.

The story is about several con artists who take on some Manhattan billionaires.

We're told that a "sharper" is someone who lives by their wits.

THINGS I LIKED: The fantastic cast includes Julianne Moore, John Lithgow, Sebastian Stan, Justice Jesse Smith, and Briana Middleton. They all do an excellent job.

The challenge is for the film to outwit its audience without our seeing what's going to happen because it's so obvious.

I love twists. There are lots of twists.

The party scene features Grammy Award-winner Samara Joy!

The filmmaking is stylish.

One of the characters asked another one which was her favorite movie. What would be YOUR answer? Comment below!

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: There are a lot of characters and storylines to keep track of, especially as we try to figure out how everything worked.

Many conversations happen in whispers, often making it difficult to hear everything that's said.

It's helpful to know ahead of time that the story is not told in a chronological, linear way.

Acts 1 & 2 move fairly slowly but then speeds up in Act 3.

The movie thinks it's more clever than it really is.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be bored.

Unmarried couples sleep together.

Profanity, including quite a few F-bombs We see someone shoot and kill another person Bloody deaths.

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This is a stylish film. It has a very talented cast. The problem is that a con should not feel like a con and have the audience sense it. Madeline says that no one will notice the con when people don't look for it. But when things whizz by too quickly and people seem to be convinced when the audience isn't, the dialogue fails. And it does here. The finale was poor and unconvincing.

"Are you buying this?

No... I'm not buying it. It's quite clear what is going on and even the ending doesn't quite add up completely and goes one step too far. It provides a twist that doesn't add up and the pieces themselves are just too incredible and the dialogue and script doesn't sell them, except perhaps to the story teller.

The plot is fantastic, the performances range from good to superb, the direction is Good. I really enjoyed it. So why only 7/10 Well the script though good needs some tightening up in places, but the screenplay is were this movie really lets down the production. The plot is quite an intricate tale of intrigue, romance, deception, misdirection and drama. To do this well is difficult, and to do it convincingly requires a very tight screenplay with details of logic, procedure, and continuity dealt with exceptionally. Though there are not so much 'holes' in the plot, it creaks and groans at the seams here and there where the bonds of the story are not quite so tight.

Very strong performances all round though. Sebastian Stan who plays Max is good but not quite up to the requirements of this role. He is given an awful lot to do in this production, with a range of demands on his capabilities that slightly outweighs his deliverable repertoire. He handles some aspects excellently while others not quite so well. Given the script has some limitations in areas of his involvement, it is difficult to say if this is due entirely to his shortcomings, but certainly these are areas of weakness the movie displays.

Julianne Moore gives a good performance, but still doesn't seem quite as engaged as she's really needs to be to bring off this one with the engrossment needed for a stellar accolade. Particularly as her role really does place great demands on the delivery for her character. Brianna Middleton - Sandra, Justice Smith - Tom, John Lithgow - Richard Hobbes are fantastic, and the minor cast also do valid service to the requirements of the roles they hold.

You may find parts of the film dragging as I did, and irrespective of how much I was enjoying the movie, this is an aspect that really shouldn't be present in a film of this calibre... that is, given it is offering so much. The failings should have been dealt with and eradicated long before production as without doubt, minor changes in this one could have brought it up easily to a 9/10.

The length is about right for a film of this genre, and I was pretty much immersed, from beginning to end (aside from the issues I've already highlighted).

Anyway, Its probably still the best movie I've seen this year and a pleasant surprise given what's been available so far.

Definitely recommended viewing.

7/10 from me.

Strange film, this. Not as clever as it thinks it is, and unfortunately doesn't treat the audience as being clever at all. By the end, despite some good twists, it all felt so predictable and despite the writers' attempts, it wasn't all that clever. If you ask one question, it all crumbles and you're left with a forgettable plot-heavy vehicle with an A list cast (presumably Apple's money brings all the big stars to the yard, because it sure as hell wasn't the script).

Overall, enjoyable enough as a TV movie, but nobody to really root for and because of the lack of relatabl characters, it all feels empty. Welcome to Apple TV+. Money can buy you whoever you want, except the talent to write a coherent story.

Good idea for a story and very good actors - but sadly the cons and twists are way too transparent and obvious, so there is basically no suspense. I'm not sure why that is, I don't think it was the actors' fault. Maybe the movie was trying a bit too hard to be smart and pack as many twists in as possible - but did not take the time to set the traps convincingly.

There was exactly one twist where they had me - when Max stated he doesn't watch movies. That was it, a minor side-detail. But Every single twist that was important to the storyline was entirely forseeable. So the exitement was out the window real quick - while the soundtrack desperately tried to emphasise tension that was not there in the first place...

"Sharper" is OK to watch to pass the time e.g. When on a plane - but not worth the time otherwise.

Usually when a movie doesn't have a linear timeline I get distracted trying to figure out how everything fits together. However, I felt like this screenplay was very well crafted. Instead of being distracting, the device of telling the story from individual character's perspective and jumping around in time seemed to let the story unfold in a very natural way. Perhaps I'm not as well-versed in con movies as some other reviewers here, but I got so involved in the story that I honestly didn't see the final twist coming, and was very satisfied with how the movie ended. Finally, I felt the movie was very well acted, and I thought Julianne Moore did a particularly good job in her role. This movie is definitely worth a watch.

Great story telling while climbing up the chain of con artists. Great visuals that fits well with each moment that captures the emotional dilemmas of each character. Equally good camera work capturing each character's and situation's nature. Excellent audio and video effects. Background music is refreshing. Unique dialogues that awakens consciousness of audience to stay focused on the story. Plot is certainly thrilling yet the final act by the aggrieved party didn't do much justice to the story up to that point. However the conclusion is satisfactory and anticipated yet presented in the most twisted and unexpected way. That's what make Sharper a must watch.

What a brilliant direction by Benjamin Caron. The way he portrayed the characters in the screenplay and made them look like four different stories and played with audience mind is just unique to watch and what a climax twist because that was totally unpredictable.

Film starts off on a general mode with 2 strangers meeting with each other and discussing their life perspectives but after 15 mins you'll realize that isn't a normal story that is going to take off.

Character building is too good specially the situation that director creates with every character you can't predict.

A normal story turns into a mystery thriller that's what's the speciality of this film Talking about the performance for me SEBASTIAN STAN stands out tall what a performance by him simply nailed it even JULIANNE MOORE is superb as well as the 2 young Justice & Briana did their job perfectly well.

Music, Bgm, Cinematography & Screenplay outstanding no complaints at all.

Apple TV once again stands above in content making films and congratulations for that.

First seeing the trailer didn't realize that the movie is this good and specially the end twist will worth your time.

Do give it a try you'll not be disappointed....

RATED 6/10 Language: English Media Partner: Apple TV+

The first impression after watching this movie was, there is not enough con and twist. Each and every twist is clearly visible much before they start. It is Ok watch if you don't know the genre.

The movie flow is Ok and there is no dull moment. But the lack of con spoils the whole fun in the movie. On top of that the climax con art is like stage drama, this is not at all worth for the feature film.

The cast is good and the production values are top notch, looks like the good opportunity is wasted in the lame story. As a whole this is not worth the watch.

The movie is entertaining for those days when you get bored at home you could even watch it twice but something is wrong, they want to be so creative and they invent some twists that in the end the viewer doesn't even find out until the end of the movie, the end of which It is quite poor for what was expected, the film has good settings, good backgrounds, good outfits and performances within what is acceptable, but it does not touch that scam that we wanted so much, the film leaves you with a taste in your mouth that you want more and he doesn't give it to you. The performances are decent, they put Julianne and Sebastian as the protagonists, however Brianna is one of the most interesting and stands out, the way of putting the film into parts is creative and ingenious. In conclusion, a normal movie with nothing beyond.

The story telling sequences were very well done with the initial con and character set up all tying together. There's a bit of a Tarantino influence in that regard but it's fine. Moore is always an interesting actress and she has a good role here. The others do ok. A few dumb, eye-rolling twists don't get in the way of an overall good con movie. A few moments are predictable but I guess thieves rely heavily on unrealistic people reactions to pull off a con. I'd like to see what happens in the aftermath. Apple+ doesn't have that many movies so if you're looking for a twisty drama, this one will do fine.