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When You Finish Saving the World (film)

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When You Finish Saving the World is a 2022 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg in his feature directorial debut. The film is based on Eisenberg's 2020 audio drama of the same name. Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard star as a mother and son who navigate their contentious relationship while trying to connect with other people. Jay O. Sanders, Alisha Boe, Billy Bryk, and Eleonore Hendricks also star. The film premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and was released by A24 in the United States on January 20, 2023, to generally positive reviews.[2]

When You Finish Saving the World
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJesse Eisenberg
Screenplay byJesse Eisenberg
Based onWhen You Finish Saving the World
by Jesse Eisenberg
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBenjamin Loeb
Edited bySara Shaw
Music byEmile Mosseri
Production
companies
Distributed byA24
Release dates
  • January 20, 2022 (2022-01-20) (Sundance)
  • January 20, 2023 (2023-01-20) (United States)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$196,920[1]

Plot

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Indiana loner 17-year-old Ziggy Katz is a high school student who performs original folk-rock songs for an adoring online fan base. This concept mystifies his formal and uptight mother, Evelyn, who runs a shelter for survivors of domestic abuse. Evelyn, feeling distant from her son, tries to convince him to come with her and volunteer at the shelter. He declines, choosing the profitable option of live-streaming.

Ziggy seeks to connect with his crush Lila, an activist classmate of his, and goes to a local political arts festival after school to get closer to her. There, she tells him he can use his platform for awareness of current issues and reads a poem about the colonization of the Marshall Islands, which he compliments and borrows from her. Simultaneously, Evelyn meets Kyle, a 17-year-old who's staying with his mother at the shelter after he called the police to help get her out of an abusive home. Evelyn is impressed by his kindness and offers him to volunteer and get him a scholarship for Oberlin College in Ohio, with Kyle having reluctance over going to college in favor of working at his father's auto shop. That night, Ziggy's father, Roger, confronts the two for missing his awards ceremony at work, calling them both narcissists.

The next morning, Ziggy asks his mother to give him a ride to school, and inquires how he can learn to "be political" to impress Lila, and she scoffs, saying he doesn't really care about the causes. Evelyn later takes Kyle to volunteer jobs around the city, and the two become close with Evelyn growing increasingly motherly around him. Meanwhile, Ziggy and Evelyn's tensions continue to erupt.

Ziggy sets Lila's poem to song, and plays it for her one afternoon. That night, after Ziggy refuses to eat dinner in order to live stream, Evelyn secretly takes his uneaten dinner to give to Kyle at the shelter, who declines it as he already had supper earlier.

The next morning Kyle's mother confronts Evelyn, telling her to stop pressuring Kyle to go to Oberlin College as he is set to working at his dad's auto shop. Baffled, Evelyn calls for Kyle while he's in school, who confirms his stance. Around the same time, Ziggy shares to Lila that he played the song on his stream, bragging that he brought attention to the issue while still making profit, much to Lila's discontent. That afternoon, Ziggy visits the shelter while his mom watches his old videos, before noticing him nearby and meeting face-to-face.

Cast

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Production

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When You Finish Saving the World is the directorial debut of Jesse Eisenberg.

On April 9, 2020, Jesse Eisenberg, Finn Wolfhard, and Kaitlyn Dever were cast in the Audible Original When You Finish Saving the World, written by Eisenberg.[4] The story was told from the perspective of three family members, at different stages of their lives, with the audio drama released on August 4, 2020.[5]

Additionally, the audiobook was planned to be adapted into a comedy-drama movie, When You Finish Saving the World, with Julianne Moore and Wolfhard set to star as mother and son, directed and written by Eisenberg with Moore, Emma Stone and Dave McCary producing under their Fruit Tree production banner.[6] The film adaptation was to take place in the present day and focus on the mother and son relationship, while keeping other details the same, such as Ziggy's mother running a shelter for victims of domestic violence, which she does in the audio version as well.[7]

In August 2020, it was announced that A24 was set to finance, produce and distribute the film.[8][9] It marks Eisenberg's feature film directorial debut.[10][11] Moore and Wolfhard were confirmed as cast as mother and son, respectively, in April 2020.[6] Billy Bryk, in December 2020, and Alisha Boe, in January 2021, joined the cast in undisclosed roles.[12][13] In November 2020, pre-production took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico,[10] while production began in January 2021,[14] followed by principal photography in February 2021.[15] Filming concluded in March 2021.[16]

Music

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Main article: When You Finish Saving the World (soundtrack)

Release

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The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2022.[17] Its first trailer was released on November 29, 2022.[18] The film was released in limited theaters and on VOD in the United States on January 20, 2023.[2] The film had its streaming debut on Netflix in the US on March 28, 2024.

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 62% of 151 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "Its characters may be hard to take, but When You Finish Saving the World makes some cogent sociopolitical points."[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[20]

Anthony Lane of The New Yorker wrote "Twitching with the same unease that characterizes his performances, Eisenberg’s directorial début is taut with unhappiness but allows itself to be funny."[21] Stephanie Zacharek of Time wrote "Eisenberg is a thoughtful filmmaker, devoted to showing his characters as multi-dimensional, flawed human beings. This is a modest film, but not a superficial one."[22] Amy Nicholson of Variety wrote "Eisenberg has made a satire that exists in shades of beige".[23] Ross Bonaime of Collider wrote "When You Finish Saving the World is often acidic to a point that might scare away some, but at its core, Eisenberg’s film is an endearing story of mother and son who were once so close, and now struggle to get what they need from each other anymore."[24] Will Sayre of MovieWeb wrote "It's certainly not aiming to be a Hollywood blockbuster, but rather a passion project for Eisenberg that reveals promise from behind the camera".[25] David Ehrlich of IndieWire wrote "Eisenberg's first movie behind the camera splits the difference between Noah Baumbach and Miranda July in a way that still allows his own voice to break through."[26]

In contrast, Benjamin Lee of The Guardian wrote, "As a first-time director, Eisenberg is at least refreshingly restrained and gimmick-avoidant (this does not look like an A24-funded debut movie), but as a writer with some experience, albeit on stage and on the page, it feels a little anemic."[27] Robert Adele of Los Angeles Times wrote "As a micro case study about some acutely flawed 21st century strivers, When You Finish Saving the World has its well-turned moments, but when you want it to be gloriously messy about families and human interactions, it stays resolutely in lab mode."[28] Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times summarized "Eisenberg has already proven himself a smart wordsmith and a knowing performer of emotional unease, but this World is a disappointingly shallow tale of narcissism and negligence."[29] Steve Pond of TheWrap reviewed "In its original, radio-drama form, the story played out over five hours and was much more expansive; trimmed down to less than 90 minutes on film, it feels like a short story, compact and uncomfortable and ultimately satisfying."[30] Rachel Labonte of Screen Rant wrote "The film is the strongest when Eisenberg plucks on the threads that bind the two together; it just doesn't do so enough. When You Finish Saving the World has parts missing, and as a result, falls short of the greatness it could've achieved."[31]

References

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  1. ^ "When You Finish Saving the World (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Grobar, Matt (November 29, 2022). "'When You Finish Saving The World' Trailer, Release Date: Jesse Eisenberg's Directorial Debut For A24 Starring Julianne Moore & Finn Wolfhard". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Press Notes" (PDF). A24. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  4. ^ "Jesse Eisenberg to be Joined by Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard in New Audible Release". Playbill. April 9, 2020. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  5. ^ Egan, Elisabeth (August 2, 2020). "It's a Book. It's a Podcast. It's a Three-Act Play, in Your Ears". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Hot Project Du Jour: Julianne Moore & Finn Wolfhard To Star In Jesse Eisenberg-Directed 'When You Finish Saving The World' Based On Audible Original; Emma Stone Producing". Deadline Hollywood. April 9, 2020. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  7. ^ "It's a Book. It's a Podcast. It's a Three-Act Play, in Your Ears". The New York Times. August 2, 2020. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  8. ^ "Emma Stone & Dave McCary Plant Fruit Tree Production Banner With A24 First-Look TV Deal". Deadline Hollywood. August 5, 2020. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  9. ^ "A24's Ali Herting Joins Emma Stone & Dave McCary's Fruit Tree As Producer". Deadline Hollywood. October 22, 2020. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Jesse Eisenberg is in New Mexico prepping for film, advocating for victims". KRQE News 13 Albuquerque - Santa Fe. November 18, 2020. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  11. ^ "Jesse Eisenberg to Direct His First Feature, 'When You Finish Saving the World'". Jewish Journal. April 11, 2020. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  12. ^ "'13 Reasons Why' Star Alisha Boe Joins Julianne Moore & Finn Wolfhard In A24 Movie 'When You Finish Saving The World'". December 7, 2020. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  13. ^ "Julianne Moore-Finn Wolfhard Pic 'When You Finish Saving The World' Adds 'Wynonna Earp' Actor Billy Bryk'". January 19, 2021. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  14. ^ "'Variety Streaming Room Hosts Panel With Audible's 'When You Finish Saving the World' Stars Jesse Eisenberg, Finn Wolfhard and Rachel Ghiazza". Variety. November 18, 2020. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  15. ^ "'When You Finish Saving the World' Team Said It Relished Creativity in Audio Medium". Variety. November 18, 2020. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  16. ^ Savedra, Charee (March 13, 2021). "That's a wrap on When You Finish Saving the World!". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  17. ^ "First 'When You Finish Saving the World' Image Shows Finn Wolfhard and Julianne Moore in Jesse Eisenberg's Directorial Debut". Collider. December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  18. ^ Zilko, Christian (November 29, 2022). "'When You Finish Saving the World' Trailer: Julianne Moore Leads Jesse Eisenberg's Directorial Debut". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  19. ^ "When You Finish Saving the World". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 25, 2023.  
  20. ^ "When You Finish Saving the World". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  21. ^ Lane, Anthony (January 20, 2023). ""When You Finish Saving the World" Is Very Jesse Eisenberg". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  22. ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (January 20, 2023). "Jesse Eisenberg Proves Himself a Thoughtful Filmmaker in 'When You Finish Saving the World'". Time. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  23. ^ Nicholson, Amy (January 21, 2022). "'When You Finish Saving the World' Review: Jesse Eisenberg's War of the Woke". Variety. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  24. ^ Bonaime, Ross (January 21, 2022). "'When You Finish Saving the World' Review: Jesse Eisenberg's Directorial Debut Has Family Struggling to Find Each Other". Collider. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  25. ^ Sayre, Will (January 13, 2023). "When You Finish Saving the World Review: Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard Succeed as Mother and Son". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  26. ^ Ehrlich, David (January 21, 2022). "'When You Finish Saving the World' Review: Dueling Narcissists Battle in Jesse Eisenberg's Terrific Debut". IndieWire. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  27. ^ Lee, Benjamin (January 21, 2022). "When You Finish Saving the World review – Jesse Eisenberg's patchy directorial debut". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  28. ^ Abele, Robert (January 20, 2023). "Review: There's no saving Jesse Eisenberg 'When You Finish Saving the World'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  29. ^ Catsoulis, Jeannette (January 19, 2023). "'When You Finish Saving the World' Review: Mother and Son Disunion". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  30. ^ Pond, Steve (January 19, 2023). "'When You Finish Saving the World' Film Review". TheWrap. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  31. ^ Labonte, Rachel (January 18, 2023). "When You Finish Saving The World Review: Maddening & Promising All At Once". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
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