“Sharp Stick” Trailer Is Unapologetically Frank About Sex

It's been more than five years since "Girls" went off the air, though Lena Dunham has continued to court controversy. The polarizing writer-director-actress has plenty of loyal fans of and annoyed bystanders to her art. While working for HBO in the interim, the upcoming dramedy Sharp Stick marks her first feature since 2010's award-winning Tiny Furniture.

The film follows Sarah Jo (Kristine Froseth), a sexually immature 20-something who still lives at home with her mom (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and sister (Taylour Paige). She recklessly starts an affair with her married boss (Jon Bernthal) that causes her whole world to spin out of control. The cast also includes Scott Speedman, Tommy Dorfman and Dunham herself. Despite getting mixed reviews out of Sundance, the film has been acclaimed for its sex positivity.

Sharp Stick opens in New York and L.A. on July 29. A nationwide expansion and digital release follows in August.

About Kip Mooney

Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about. I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague. Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work. In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo. I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.