Sundance 2022: Sharp Stick Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Sundance Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

Comedy is a subjective genre. While some of it may be for certain people, it also may not be for others therefore can be divisive. It is safe to say that the work of actress/writer/director Lena Dunham has been divisive which may or may not have to do with her as a person. When it comes to Sharp Stick, a film that she wrote, directed, and stars in, this continues to be the case. Regardless, it will find an audience but for the most part, is a ridiculous and unfunny mess from top to bottom with absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. This misguided coming of age story is just weird for the sake of being weird and obnoxiously quirky which is sure to get on the nerves of audiences. Though being unfunny is one thing, it’s just sad for the most part considering all those involved. With a running time clocking in at under 90 minutes, the film may be short. However, it will feel longer than that.

Sharp Stick follows a young woman named Sarah Jo (Froseth) who yearns to be seen in the midst of her outrageous single mother Marilyn (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and sister Treina (Taylour Paige). Working as a caregiver for a married couple’s special needs son, she soon began an affair with the father, a man named Josh (Bernthal) whose relationship with his pregnant wife Heather (Dunham) was suffering. Repressed and surrounded by temptation, Sarah Jo finally gave in to her urges. Being a virgin, this was the start of her sexual journey that saw her awkwardly go down a rabbit hole. Perhaps this awkwardness contrasted with the outrageously obnoxious characters around her and her sexual journey was supposed to be funny and empowering but it just wasn’t and cringeworthy at best. Going so far down the rabbit hole, she became so out of control that she lost sight of who she was, not that her family ever noticed. Through her trails and tribulations, it was all about self-discovery. In the end, the film gives audiences little reason to care either way.

Ultimately, the best part of Sharp Stick was Froseth’s performance as Sarah Jo as she barely keeps the film from truly falling off the rails. That’s about it when it comes to positives as the bad dialog and ridiculous direction certainly did not do it any favors.

Nowhere near as sharp as it thinks it is.

*still courtesy of Sundance

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.