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There’s just nothing like a smart crime caper to keep audiences captivated—wondering what could possibly happen next. And AppleTV+’s Sharper takes what initially seems like just a simple con and adds layers of twists and swindles to keep viewers on their toes.
Sharper unfolds a story of lies and deception, where nothing—and no one—is quite as it seems. Tom (Justice Smith) is a bookstore owner who falls for a customer named Sandra (Briana Middleton), a doctoral student with a tragic past and a love of Jane Eyre. But this isn’t just a normal budding romance. And after it becomes clear that someone here has been conned, layer after layer is peeled back to expose deeper, more elaborate plots, centered around a group of talented con artists who are out for money and revenge.
Really, there’s not much that I can say here without spoiling all the fun. But as the story plays out, it takes one step back after another, twisting and turning and revealing each new layer of the con—as one con artist is recruited by another, who works with another con artist to con someone else. Nothing here is random; everything is interconnected and carefully planned. The story is certainly complex—and it gets more and more complicated as it nears its conclusion—but with each step back, it provides viewers with another piece to the puzzle. And each new character and each new con makes it all the more intriguing.
The plot here is definitely clever, and the noteworthy cast does an impressive job of steering audiences through each new twist. There’s a lot to take in here—and, at times, it will catch you off-guard. Still, it doesn’t quite reach the same level of brilliance as a Rian Johnson caper. The story is smart, but the dialogue doesn’t have the sharp wit that would push it up to the next level—nor do the characters have the strong, unique personalities that would make them truly memorable. While it may not achieve award-worthy levels of screenwriting brilliance, though, it’s still just a whole lot of fun to follow these characters through one complicated con after another.
Sharper is a fun con artist caper that will keep audiences guessing with its layered story and constant surprises. And though some quick-witted dialogue and memorable characters could have made it even better, it’s still an entertaining puzzle of an adventure that’s well worth watching.
Following a brief theatrical release, Sharper arrives on AppleTV+ on February 17, 2023.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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