When You Finish Saving the World (2023)

Directed by Jesse Eisenberg. Starring Finn Wolfhard, Julianne Moore, Alisha Boe, Billy Bryk, Jay O. Sanderss, Jack Justice, Eleonore Hendricks. [R]

Ziggy (Wolfhard) is a socially-isolated twerp obsessed with finding ways to profit off an online following for his live-stream alt-folk song performances, while his mother (Moore) is uptight and indifferent, caring far more about her work running a shelter for domestic abuse victims than her family’s well-being. Ziggy’s crush on a politically-minded classmate (Boe) and his mom’s dedication to setting the son (Bryk) of one of the sheltered women on a path to a college degree ought to be the personal junctures both need to improve, but since they’re both in it for selfish reasons, humiliation and self-destruction are the only destinations they can count on. It’s not much fun (and only a little validating) to spend time with abrasive, navel-gazing narcissists, just as it can be tough going when the fluid mixture of comedy and cringe isn’t just right in a story like this. Well-acted, and nails a few of-the-moment social critiques, but it’s a mixed bag at best. With nothing gained or lost in terms of personal growth, the finale rings false. Inspired by a 2020 audio drama Jesse Eisenberg wrote, voiced and published for Audible, although it bears only partial relation; Eisenberg scripted this adaptation, and also makes his feature directorial debut. Emma Stone co-produced. Debuted at Sundance in 2022, exactly one year prior to its limited commercial release.

52/100