Admittedly, I had a pretty visceral reaction to this trailer, and it wasn’t a good one. I appreciate the idea of the exploration of the sexuality of female-identifying people, and the more stories we see about them, the better. We don’t get enough. I also love the fact that this was an all-female production crew. That said, I had a pretty strong negative reaction to the trailer. Perhaps making the audience uncomfortable is what Dunham was going for here, but the idea of watching an older man take advantage of his employee in a sexual manner isn’t something I find entertaining. The full film might focus more on Sarah Jo taking back her own power and body positivity, but the trailer doesn’t come across that way to me. 

“Sharp Stick” also stars Luka Sabbat, Scott Speedman, Lena Dunham, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. It’s produced by Dunham, Michael P. Cohen, Kevin Turen, and Katia Washington. It’s executive produced by Ben Browning, Glen Basner, Taylor Paige, Jon Bernthal, Kenneth Yu, and Will Greenfield.

Here is the official synopsis for “Sharp Stick:”

Sarah Jo (Kristine Froseth) is a sensitive and naive 26-year-old living on the fringes of Hollywood with her disillusioned mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and influencer sister (Taylour Paige). Working as a caregiver and just longing to be seen, she begins an exploratory affair with her older, married employer (Jon Bernthal), and is thrust into a startling education on sexuality, loss and power.

“Sharp Stick” opens July 29, 2022 in New York and Los Angeles, and opens nationwide on August 5, 2022. It will be available on digital platforms on August 16, 2022.