Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- uneasy
- intimate
- quiet evening
- indie film night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film thoughtfully acted and sharply observed, with gentle humor and an assured restrained debut offset by a shallow, emotionally limited script.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Evelyn's shelter work and Ziggy's online music career develop in parallel, repeatedly contrasting their incompatible values and mutual emotional distance.
Ziggy tries to make his music more political to impress Lila, while the film scrutinizes the gap between social engagement and self-serving performance.
Evelyn and Ziggy repeatedly fail to understand each other's values, interests, and emotional languages despite living together.
The directorial debut is described as carefully observed, aesthetically pleasing, restrained, and gimmick-avoidant.
Films like When You Finish Saving the World, and why
The Squid and the Whale
awkward generational conflict, sharply observed dialogue, and emotionally distant family dynamics
Lady Bird
indie coming-of-age comedy-drama centered on narcissism, self-invention, and uncomfortable parent-child relationships
Eighth Grade
dry humor, fractured family intimacy, and young characters navigating identity and social performance
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
socially anxious characters, understated discomfort, and contemporary relationship miscommunication
Movie Details
- Director
- Jesse Eisenberg
- Release Date
- 2023-01-20
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (143)
Cast
- Julianne Moore
- Finn Wolfhard
- Billy Bryk
- Alisha Boe
- Jack Justice
- Jay O. Sanders
- Eléonore Hendricks
- Catherine Haun
- Annacheska Brown
- Sara Anne
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is When You Finish Saving the World about?
- A mother running a domestic-abuse shelter and her internet-famous teenage son pursue incompatible ideals while drifting further apart.
- What is When You Finish Saving the World like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of When You Finish Saving the World as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is When You Finish Saving the World violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in When You Finish Saving the World.
- What did critics think of When You Finish Saving the World?
- Critics broadly found the film thoughtfully acted and sharply observed, with gentle humor and an assured restrained debut offset by a shallow, emotionally limited script.
- Which films are like When You Finish Saving the World?
- Films with a similar feel include The Squid and the Whale, Lady Bird, Eighth Grade, and The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected).
- How long is When You Finish Saving the World?
- When You Finish Saving the World runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch When You Finish Saving the World?
- In United States, When You Finish Saving the World is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex.
