Writer/director Lena Dunham’s latest film “Sharp Stick,” arrived on digital rental platforms Tuesday after bowing at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and playing in theaters this summer. It’s the first film that Dunham has written and directed since her breakout feature, “Tiny Furniture” catapulted her into the limelight in 2010. She also has another film premiering this fall, “Catherine, Called Birdy,” adapted from the historical novel by Karen Cushman.
Dunham is largely known for her work on TV, specifically the cultural lightning rod that was her HBO series “Girls,” which she created, produced, wrote, starred in and directed 19 episodes. That series made her somewhat of a polarizing figure, but Dunham, as a filmmaker is much more than just “Girls,” and the sexy, spiky “Sharp Stick” is a welcome reminder that she’s a fantastic, and daring, director as well.
Starring Kristine Froseth, “Sharp Stick” explores the same coming-of-age issues that Dunham tackled in “Tiny Furniture” and “Girls,” but with a tighter focus. Froseth’s character, Sarah Jo, is a young woman attempting to explore her own sexuality, which has been divorced from her own fertility, having had a hysterectomy at a young age. A torrid affair with Josh (Jon Bernthal), the father of the child she nannies, sets her head spinning, and Sarah Jo attempts to process her feelings through sexual experimentation, for better or for worse.
Dunham co-stars as Josh’s wife in a supporting role, so it’s her incisive writing and directing that take center stage, as well as the astonishingly honest performance from Froseth. “Sharp Stick” fits neatly in with Dunham’s oeuvre, but it’s also a fascinating progression of her artistry. Rent it on all digital platforms and VOD.
It also may inspire a revisit or catch up with Dunham’s filmography — beyond “Girls” — including her breakout, “Tiny Furniture,” in which she stars, opposite her mother and sibling, in her childhood home, and alongside future “Girls” stars Alex Karpovsky and Jemima Kirke (longtime friend). It set the template for “Girls,” about the struggles of coming of age, and establishes her sensibility as a writer and director. Stream “Tiny Furniture” on Criterion Channel, AMC+ or rent it elsewhere. While you’re on Criterion Channel, give Dunham’s debut feature, the hourlong “Creative Nonfiction” a spin.
Dunham has also spearheaded other HBO series, including the Jennifer Garner vehicle “Camping,” alongside former collaborator Jenni Konner. While that one didn’t light the world on fire, the ensemble cast, including Bridget Everett, Juliette Lewis, David Tennant and Brett Gelman, is a charming group, and it’s worth a gander. Rent it on Prime Video or Google Play. Also check out Mickey Down and Konrad Kay’s HBO series “Industry,” currently airing its second season, about the 2008 financial crisis in the world of young financial professionals. Dunham directed the pilot, “Induction.” Stream it on HBO Max.
Lena Dunham moves beyond “Girls” in 2022, but she remains focused on expressing the unique experiences of young women, with the piercing “Sharp Stick” and upcoming “Catherine, Called Birdy.” Her stacked filmography and varied body of work is always worth the revisit, outside of the cultural discourse its stirred up.
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