When You Finish Saving the World (2022)
76%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: 1 nomination
When You Finish Saving the World, directed by Jesse Eisenberg, is a film that attempts to explore the complexities of familial relationships through a biting satire. While some critics found the film to be hollow and frustratingly surface-level, others praised Eisenberg’s poignant and drily comedic approach to the characters and writing. The film moves between drama and comedy, never taking its characters too seriously but also never ridiculing them. Overall, When You Finish Saving the World is a well-acted and witty portrayal of a tricky mother-son dynamic that leaves audiences with plenty to ponder.
When You Finish Saving the World is like that one family dinner where everyone is trying to be witty and sarcastic, but it just ends up being awkward and uncomfortable. Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut tries to be a biting satire, but falls short with its shallow engagement on important topics. However, the nervous energy Eisenberg brings out in his characters is palpable, and the performances by Finn Wolfhard and Julianne Moore are effortlessly convincing. Overall, it’s a fine film that could have been better if the characters stepped outside themselves and stopped taking themselves so seriously.
Production Company(ies)
Film Nation Entertainment, Nostromo Pictures, Temple Hill Entertainment,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
2022
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:NA
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Julianne Moore, Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk, Alisha Boe, Jay O Sanders, Eleonore Hendricks, directed by Jesse Eisenberg, written by Jesse Eisenberg, produced by Ali Herting, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, comedy, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Peter Bradshaw, Dwight Brown, Drew Gregory, Esther Zuckerman, Brian Tallerico, Caroline Siede, Ema Sasic, Jaime Pena, John Bleasdale, Andrew Kendall, Mary Siroky, Murjani Rawls, MPAA rating, mother-son relationship, sociopolitical points, women’s shelter, political student, teenage love, family drama, biting satire, Sundance, directorial debut, 21st century comedy of manners
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Finn Wolfhard – Ziggy
Billy Bryk – Kyle
Alisha Boe – self
Jay O. Sanders – self
Eleonore Hendricks – self
Director – Jesse Eisenberg
Producers – Ali Herting, Dave McCary, Emma Stone
Writer – Jesse Eisenberg
Director(s)
Jesse Eisenberg
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Ali Herting, Dave McCary, Emma Stone
Film Festivals
Sundance, Cannes
Awards & Nominations
1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (88) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (58) | Rotten (30)
A well acted, ironic yet sentimental portrayal of a tricky mother-son dynamic
May 18, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Family drama takes a turn left in this biting satire.
February 11, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Dwight Brown
National Newspaper Publishers Association
TOP CRITIC
Inexplicably written and directed by 38-year-old year actor Jesse Eisenberg and not a 70-year-old professor trying his hand at playwrighting, one of Sundance’s buzziest titles is also one of its worst.
January 28, 2022
Drew Gregory
Autostraddle
TOP CRITIC
You can feel the nervous, motor-mouthed energy Jesse Eisenberg brings out of his best performances in his directorial debut, When You Finish Saving the World.
January 28, 2022
Esther Zuckerman
Thrillist
TOP CRITIC
A hollow film about people fundamentally misunderstanding the dynamics of the relationships they so desperately want to work.
January 27, 2022
Brian Tallerico
RogerEbert.com
TOP CRITIC
It takes a minute to get onboard with the rigid, robotic way in which the characters in this world interact, but once you do, a multitude of pleasures await [in Eisenberg’s] poignant, drily comedic 21st century comedy of manners.
January 23, 2022
Caroline Siede
Fox 10 Phoenix
TOP CRITIC
While (Jesse Eisenberg) nails the characters and writing in some areas, he misses the mark on the emotional aspects.
June 27, 2022 | Rating: 6/10
Ema Sasic
Next Best Picture
Moves between drama and comedy, understanding its characters without ever taking them too seriously, but also never ridiculing them.
[Full review in Spanish]
May 19, 2022
Jaime Pena
Caimán Cuadernos de Cine
When You Finish Saving the World is fine. It’s well made, witty, and Wolfhard and Moore are effortlessly convincing in their roles.
May 18, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
John Bleasdale
CineVue
Perhaps the shallowness of the film might be read as a meta-commentary on the characters own emptiness, but Eisenbergs film is too empty to register beyond being frustratingly surface-level with its engagement on any topic of important.
March 25, 2022
Andrew Kendall
Stabroek News
For as many questions as it raises, though, its a shame the movie itself isnt quite sure how it wants them to be answered.
March 22, 2022
Mary Siroky
Consequence
When Youre Finished Saving the World is a study of a house divided that doesnt have to be if each character stepped outside themselves.
March 21, 2022
Murjani Rawls
Substream Magazine…
Plot
A mother and her teenage son struggle to connect with each other and seek out relationships with others, leading to unexpected consequences in When You Finish Saving the World.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Finn Wolfhard, known for his role in Stranger Things, stars in When You Finish Saving the World.
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