WhenYouFinishSavingTheWorld Review: Maddening & Promising All At Once
Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg in his feature directorial debut, When You Finish Saving the World is a conflicting feature. The movie first debuted at the Sundance Film Festival a year ago, and now is set to be released in theaters by A24. It revolves around two maddening, messy characters and explores the complex dynamic between them. It has moments of piercing emotion, yet also holds its fair share of stumbles, including some stilted dialogue.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY Perpetually fussy Evelyn runs a shelter for individuals and families running from dangerous situations. While she has a solid grasp on her work life, her relationship with her teenage son, Ziggy , is fraying with each terse interaction. Ziggy is a self-centered aspiring musician who spends more time planning his livestreams than interacting with the world around him.
Less clear is Ziggy's journey. Wolfhard nails the singer's oblivious and narcissistic personality, but it will be hard for viewers not to roll their eyes at the words that come out of his mouth. Eisenberg establishes him this way intentionally, setting the stage for an arc where Ziggy looks outside of himself. Unfortunately, though, the script itself appears to be missing a few steps.
The movie does feature some glimmers of true promise and emotion. A scene featuring Evelyn, Ziggy, and the third member of their family, husband and father Roger , brilliantly highlights the mutual shortcomings Evelyn and Ziggy possess. Additionally, Eisenberg stages two climactic confrontations in such a way that intersects When You Finish Saving the World's dueling storylines in an organic and satisfying way.
What the audience is left with is a movie that reaches for emotional resonance, but ends up feeling hollow. Eisenberg does a great job with the set-up, and even the ending, in a way. Moore and Wolfhard's performances lend depth to their characters and are the best parts of When You Finish Saving the World. The film is the strongest when Eisenberg plucks on the threads that bind the two together; it just doesn't do so enough.
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