Sharper opens with close-ups on the gear assembly of a Rolex watch — perhaps a promise to the viewer that what follows will be a masterpiece of intricate moving parts, providing a precise, satisfying experience with understated elegance. But alas, the Rolex that actually appears in the film is a fake, and while the pieces — sorry, characters — of this movie do meet and mesh, precision, elegance, and satisfaction are not part of the picture. It looks cheap, sounds silly, moves in fits and starts, and absolutely pops its springs in the third act. Director Benjamin Caron mishandles what should be a strong cast (Julianne Moore! John Lithgow! A couple of promising newcomers in Briana Middleton and Justice Smith!) in this tale of operators caught up in each other’s schemes. Throughout, there is the sense of the film’s desire to be cool without ever quite managing it, often at narrative centerpiece Sebastian Stan’s expense. At one point, circumstances threaten to turn a con-artist caper into something more desperate and dangerous, but here as elsewhere, dramatic urgency is sacrificed is sacrificed in the twisty pursuit of cleverness. (2023) — Matthew Lickona
This movie is not currently in theaters.