Tom runs a quiet used bookstore in New York City. He falls for Sandra, a smart woman who walks into his shop. Their romance hides a bigger game of cons, lies, and stolen money around a rich family. The story jumps in time and keeps switching who is tricking whom. The tone is cool, twisty, and more about greed and trust than action fights.
This is a sleek con-artist thriller about scams, double-crosses, and who you can trust. Strong, sharp women run big parts of the scheme, and money and power drive almost every move. Casting puts black actors Justice Smith and Briana Middleton in major lead roles as a young couple, with Smith playing the son of a white billionaire played by John Lithgow. The story itself stays on scams and betrayal, not identity lectures or activist messaging. Most viewers will see a glossy crime puzzle about liars and rich targets.
Community feedback
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Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Sharper.
Woke representation / casting
Modern New York cast with black actors Justice Smith and Briana Middleton in major lead roles as the young couple. Smith plays the son of white billionaire John Lithgow with no story talk about race. Visible diversity in big parts, but not sold as a representation project and not built like “quota genius” stereotypes.
18%
Woke political dialogue
Characters talk about money, scams, love, and trust. No clear activist speeches about race, gender politics, or modern social-justice causes that a normal viewer would clock as preachy.
0%
Identity-driven story themes
Core story is cons, greed, betrayal, and a final reverse-scam. Capable women run major schemes in a classic crime way, not as a modern identity lecture. Race, queer identity, and activist social themes are not the plot engine.
8%
Western institutional / cultural critique
Rich Manhattan targets and greedy liars are the setting. That is standard con-movie “rich people get played” material, not a modern activist attack on Western culture, faith, traditional family, or current identity politics.
10%
Woke character or canon changes
Not present in this title.
0%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No clear anti-woke or right-leaning campaign treated this film as pushing woke, DEI, or identity politics. Reaction stayed on twists and quality.
0%
Creator track record context
Most key creatives score low on activist/woke track records. Julianne Moore’s higher progressive profile as star-producer raises the group a bit, but interviews and the film’s pitch stay craft- and con-focused.
18%
Production
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