Remember Jesse Eisenberg? He’s Moved On From Lex Luthor And His New Movie Just Dropped On Netflix
It is pretty fair to say at this point that the DCU was largely a bust. Despite some bright spots here and there, like the first Wonder Woman, it also had many duds and questionable casting choices. Jesse Eisenberg is someone who was especially panned for his portrayal of Lex Luthor in both Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.
Perhaps he is aware of those criticisms, because following his reprisal of the role for Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Eisenberg took a break from acting to become a director. His debut movie was 2022’s When You Finish Saving the World.
Jesse Eisenberg Directs When You Finish Saving the World
The movie is actually Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut and is based on an audio drama that he wrote and published in 2020. In case you were not aware, outside of his film roles, Eisenberg is quite active in the theater community.
He is a playwright, and does podcasts related to his work. If you only know him from his on-screen movie roles, then When You Finish Saving the World is the perfect opportunity to see his talent in other capacities.
Finn Wolfhard And Julianne Moore Star
Jesse Eisenberg’s acting career seems to have made him some good connections, as he was able to get a talented cast for his movie.
Julianne Moore stars as a mother working at a domestic violence shelter. Finn Wolfhard, of Stranger Things fame, plays her teenage son, who is more interested in becoming a famous musician and impressing girls in high school.
Their relationship becomes contentious due to Moore’s character wanting to instill compassion and a desire to help others into her son. Meanwhile he just wants the freedom to be who he wants and pursue his passions.
Deep Characters And Problems
Jesse Eisenberg explores how despite both characters seeming diametrically opposed, they wind up meeting surrogates for each other in their lives. Wolfhard’s character meets a very politically active girl at his school who he wants to impress with his song writing. So he takes an interest in the social causes she fights for.
Meanwhile, Moore’s character meets another teenage boy who has turned to shelter life after he and his mom escape an abusive home. Moore’s character dotes on the boy and takes him under her wing to try and steer him towards better things in life.
Heartfelt Effort From Jesse Eisenberg
The two characters are unknowingly finding in other relationships what they wish they had in their mother-son dynamic.
It is a heartfelt effort from Jesse Eisenberg that deals with very human issues. Quite a departure from his own roles playing the founder of Facebook or trying to defeat Superman.
When You Finish Saving the World Reviews
For his directorial debut, Jesse Eisenberg’s movie garnered a solid reception. When You Finish Saving the World wound up with a 62% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Audiences tended to enjoy it more, with the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes sitting at 73%. Reviews called the characters challenging to like, while acknowledging that can sometimes be a reflection of how reality actually is.
Critics enjoyed the movie’s exploration of political themes and the social dynamics between the mother and son characters.
