There is a lesson about narrative tricks and overuse in here, and I think many could learn from it. Fool the audience once, that's impressive, fool them twice and you begin to push the boundaries of "clever" and tread into the realm of mild annoyance. By the third time, it's so telegraphed and predictable that you've lost all spark and also end up dulling the sharpness (heh) of the initial uses of the technique. Sharper does exactly this, and by the final hoodwink it's so obvious what it's doing that it collapses the house of cards they've built to this point. [spoiler]Julianne Moore's character claims to be a professional conwoman, but can't seem to see one of the most telegraphed plays in the whole movie right before her eyes? All integrity is lost, and the wrap up feels rushed and unsatisfying. [/spoiler]

What begins as a slick, contemporary social-heist-thriller (what a mouthful) quickly devolves into a very predictable romp that doesn't feel satisyfing under the weight of the first two acts. Not a bad film by any means, but doesn't sort out the threads in the final act to jump to the 7 or 8 out of 10 territory. Fair, but could have been so much more.

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

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/sharper-review

"Sharper is a psychological thriller driven and marked by compelling characters, but the lack of exploration of the various themes presented and an abrupt conclusion leave a slightly bitter aftertaste. The twist-filled narrative keeps viewers on their toes, but they're unlikely to be surprised by the easily anticipated developments. Benjamin Caron makes the viewing more interesting with a strong, visually appealing direction, and the cast also deserves praise, especially Briana Middleton. I recommend it to fans of the genre, but be warned that the ending holds enough potential to, in some way, either spoil or elevate the overall experience."

Rating: C+