When You Finish Saving the World

Hesitated between a 4-6 rating. Some stops of the film convey the gist of the story. Some are muddled, expected, and very naïve. Moore's pursuit of improving Kyle's life brushes off as a consequence to chasing off a romantic interest at some parts. Also, her performance is visibly dry at a lot of scenes. Glad to see how Finn has been shying away from Stranger Things shelter. However, his real-life personality has been shining through his acting since 2019 which requires a bit of improvement. A great performance from his end nonetheless. Maybe a bit of coherence to characters' purpose would have been better.

This is usually my kind of film. A simplistic, low-budget drama that tells a human story. Many of those films are my favourites, so when I heard Jesse Eisenberg was tackling a movie like this for his first directorial feature I was intrigued. After watching it though, I have to admit I'm pretty disappointed. Not because Eisenberg is a bad filmmaker by any means, but due to the fact that I just didn't care about anything in this movie. Here's why, even though Eisenberg directs his first film well, you can probably avoid When You Finish Saving the World.

The film follows Evelyn (Julianne Moore) and her son Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard) as they live very different lives and don't get along. Ziggy makes money by playing music for an audience online and Evelyn is a teacher who's making friends with people her son's age in order to feel more accomplished. Ziggy tries to fit in with his classmates by pretending to be interested in what they're talking about, but this is a very mirky choice on his part. That's pretty much the entire movie in a nutshell honestly. A movie like this can work really well, but for me, what ruined it for me were the characters.

A film that revolves around characters where not much happens is fine if it's written well, and it's not that the film is poorly written, it's just that the focus was in the wrong place and the characters themselves were the most unlikable I've seen in a long time. I disliked Evelyn and Ziggy right when the film started, so I spent the entire film rooting for them to change. Without ruining where the film goes, I'll just say that I barely felt a progression of any kind for either of them. There are clear underlying themes present here too, especially to do with politics and the environment, but it all just felt like dialogue that was brushed over. I love these two performers, but I had much more attachment to the side characters, and that's a big problem.

Overall, When You Finish Saving the World proved to me that Jesse Eisenberg can handle directing a film and knows how to pull a good performance, so I will gladly watch his next effort. That said though, I just found this to be a mess. I normally find that a singular writer for a film is best, but I believe a second eye would've helped make this script much better and more interesting. Although quite and space, I would actually say the most impressive aspect of this film is the music from composer Emile Mosseri. I've liked his work on films like The Last Black Man in San Francisco and most recently in Stutz. It's hard to praise anything else though in my opinion. When You Finish Saving the World.

When You Finish Saving the World is the epitome of an actor's directorial debut since it focuses on complicated people and their messy relationships. It's a film about appreciating the people right in front of you and respecting their success regardless of if you understand it that's hindered by the characters' inhospitable nature, making it a deliberately frustrating watch even at less than 90 minutes long.

The two leads are almost too good at nailing their characters and how they deliver every single line of dialogue. Julianne Moore is very convincing as someone who is way too literal and spends most of her day checked out until she finds something to obsess over and then goes too far in the other direction. Finn Wolfhard is equally convincing as an awkward self-obsessed teenager and it says a lot that their best scene together is without dialogue.

It's really impressive how obvious it is that this has been written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg. The intentionally awkward and specific dialogue matches some of his previous performances as well as fitting the tone. There's a few nice shots but this is a film that puts performances front and centre. However, his greatest strength as writer & director is in how satisfying the ending is as everything finally goes quiet and lets a moment sink in.

Another unimoprtant movie, a movie that had no reason to make it, let alone create the idea for this. What does the new director Eissenberg want to achieve? Convince us that he has concerns about the future of the planet? That he cares for the good of humanity? Want to scream for green growth? What happens to me? To irritate me with the chatter of his texts. Does he try to make the actors talk as fast as he does? Is it an experiment? Do you want to show us your deep talent? Don't make movies. Another family without cohesion. Characters indifferent. Result; Sleepiness! I like Julianne Moore and that was the reason for giving a try. Pity for Julianne, and pity for me.

When You Finish Saving the World, directed by Jesse Eisenberg, runs for 88 minutes and presents a story that feels both disconnected from reality and oddly frustrating to watch. The film follows Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard) and his mother Evelyn (Julianne Moore), two characters who are meant to be navigating their strained relationship but come across as exaggerated caricatures of real people. Unfortunately, the characters' behaviors and interactions feel so far removed from anything believable that it becomes difficult to connect with any part of their story.

The biggest issue with this film is the way the characters are written and developed. Instead of offering any relatable qualities or depth, both Ziggy and Evelyn (along with most of the supporting characters) feel like hollow, over-the-top versions of real people. Their personalities are frustratingly one-dimensional, almost to the point of parody. It's hard to watch their interactions without feeling an overwhelming sense of cringe and discomfort. While some films successfully use exaggerated characters to make a point or add humor, When You Finish Saving the World doesn't manage to do either. The characters lack any redeeming qualities that would make their quirks engaging or their struggles emotionally resonant.

The story flows naturally within its own twisted reality, but that only seems to exacerbate the disconnect between the characters and the audience. While the movie may have intended to explore the complexities of familial relationships or generational differences, it instead feels like an exercise in frustration. The characters' interactions are more likely to elicit eye-rolls or exasperation than any sort of emotional engagement. Watching the film, it's hard to imagine anyone feeling anything other than discomfort or irritation at the exaggerated and often unlikable personalities on display.

By the end, I found myself wondering what the film was trying to achieve. While it flows easily enough within its strange, unrealistic world, the lack of believable character development made it impossible for me to become invested in the story. Instead of walking away with any sense of connection or reflection, I was left feeling mostly frustrated and disengaged.

In conclusion, When You Finish Saving the World struggles with the same issue that plagues many films-it offers characters that feel like overblown versions of real people, but with none of the relatability or charm needed to make them work. Despite its natural flow, the film is more likely to evoke cringe than anything else. I give it a 5 out of 10.