When You Finish Saving the World (film)

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When You Finish Saving the World
Directed byJesse Eisenberg
Written byJesse Eisenberg
Based onWhen You Finish Saving the World
by Jesse Eisenberg
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBenjamin Loeb
Edited bySara Shaw
Music byEmile Mosseri
Production
company
Fruit Tree
Distributed byA24
Release date
  • January 20, 2022 (2022-01-20) (Sundance)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

When You Finish Saving the World is a 2022 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg in his directorial debut. The film is based on Eisenberg's 2020 audio drama of the same name. Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard star as mother and son. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2022. It received generally positive reviews from critics.

Synopsis[]

High school student Ziggy 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.

— Sundance[1]

Cast[]

Production[]

Jesse Eisenberg at the 2018 Toronto Film Festival in Ontario, Canada.
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.[2] 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.[citation needed]

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.[3] 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.[4]

In August 2020, it was announced that A24 was set to finance, produce and distribute the film.[5][6] It marks Eisenberg's feature film directorial debut.[7][8] Moore and Wolfhard were confirmed as cast as mother and son, respectively, in April 2020.[3] Billy Bryk, in December 2020, and Alisha Boe, in January 2021, joined the cast in undisclosed roles.[9][10] In November 2020, pre-production took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico,[7] while production began in January 2021,[11] followed by principal photography in February 2021.[12] Filming concluded in March 2021.[13]

Release[]

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2022.[14]

Reception[]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 71% of 68 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Its characters may be hard to take, but When You Finish Saving the World makes some cogent sociopolitical points."[15] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100 based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[16]

References[]

  1. ^ "When You Finish Saving the World". Sundance. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  2. ^ "Jesse Eisenberg to be Joined by Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard in New Audible Release". Playbill. April 9, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  3. ^ 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. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  4. ^ "It's a Book. It's a Podcast. It's a Three-Act Play, in Your Ears". The New York Times. August 2, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  5. ^ "Emma Stone & Dave McCary Plant Fruit Tree Production Banner With A24 First-Look TV Deal". Deadline Hollywood. August 5, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  6. ^ "A24's Ali Herting Joins Emma Stone & Dave McCary's Fruit Tree As Producer". Deadline Hollywood. October 22, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Jesse Eisenberg is in New Mexico prepping for film, advocating for victims". KRQE News 13 Albuquerque - Santa Fe. November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  8. ^ "Jesse Eisenberg to Direct His First Feature, 'When You Finish Saving the World'". Jewish Journal. April 11, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  9. ^ ‘13 Reasons Why’ Star Alisha Boe Joins Julianne Moore & Finn Wolfhard In A24 Movie ‘When You Finish Saving The World’
  10. ^ Julianne Moore-Finn Wolfhard Pic ‘When You Finish Saving The World’ Adds ‘Wynonna Earp’ Actor Billy Bryk’
  11. ^ "'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. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  12. ^ "'When You Finish Saving the World' Team Said It Relished Creativity in Audio Medium". Variety. November 18, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ "When You Finish Saving the World". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  16. ^ "When You Finish Saving the World". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved January 27, 2022.

External links[]

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