“Sharper” is old slang for a con artist or swindler. And in the trailer Apple TV+ dropped Thursday for its first film of 2023, a “neo-noir thriller” that shares the slang term as a title, it’s not easy to tell the con artist from the conned.
But it looks like it’ll be fun guessing which rich Manhattan people will lose their shirts in the film, starring Julianne Moore and John Lithgow.
It comes out in theaters February 10 and streams February 17, Apple TV+ said.
Sharper trailer leaves you wondering who’s getting fleeced
The Sharper trailer opens with Lithgow and Moore dressed to the nines, coming home from a night out to find a couple of intruders in their house. One is supposedly a detective, as he identified himself to the maid. But Moore outs him as her son and slaps him.
“This is what my son does,” she said. “He plays these games.”
And apparently this particular game netted him $1,000 that he didn’t get to keep.
The tuxedoed Lithgow tells him, “If you’re gonna steal, steal a lot.” He might be speaking from experience.
The trailer tells us Lithgow’s character is a billionaire. And it shows us a fair number of schemers who may be trying to steal a lot of his money.
But the trailer keeps you guessing who’s going to do what to whom, and so does the movie, apparently. Here’s how Apple TV+ described the film:
No one is who they seem in Sharper, a neo-noir thriller of secrets and lies, set amongst New York City’s bedrooms, barrooms and boardrooms. Characters compete for riches and power in a high stakes game of ambition, greed, lust and jealousy that will keep audiences guessing until the final moment.
Watch the trailer:
Other cast and creators
Along with veteran actors Moore and Lithgow, Sharper stars Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The First Avenger), Justice Smith (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) and Briana Middleton (The Tender Bar).
Brit Benjamin Caron, known for his work on episodes of Wallander and The Crown, directed the film. Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka wrote the screenplay, which made the 2020 Black List of “most liked” screenplays not yet produced. Eric Feig served as producer along with A24.
And note the movie’s clever tagline: “Read between the lies.”
More about Apple TV+
Photo: Apple
Apple TV+ is available by subscription for $6.99 with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle.
After first airing in November 2019, “Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 299 wins and 1,279 award nominations and counting,” the service said.
