SHARPER
Director: Benjamin Caron
Starring: Justice Smith, Briana Middleton, Sebastian Stan, Julianne Moore, John Lithgow
The title Sharper sounds like a meta horror movie sequel, but don’t worry, this is actually about con-artists. The title is explained up front as “Sharper” refers to “one who lives by their wits.” The film opens with Tom (Smith) who owns and runs a small independent used bookstore. It’s there where he bonds and flirts with Briana Middleton’s character, Sandra, a new customer who loves Jane Eyre. Their meet cute turns romantic, but it feels too good to be true for this genre. The film switches to Sandra’s storyline as we get to learn her backstory and what lead her to Tom. She’s currently on parole and hasn’t been working for months. She becomes a pawn for Sebastian Stan’s character, Max, who teaches her how to con others. As the film progresses, we get Max’s backstory which involves his mother (Moore) and her new relationship with an ultra-wealthy man (Lithgow). This is the kind of movie where the details of the plot will inevitably lead to spoilers and ruining the depth of the con at hand. Now streaming on AppleTV+
Here’s my review