When You Finish Saving the World

At its core, the film follows Evelyn, a shelter operator, and her skeptical son Ziggy as they hatch a plan to substitute lives in search of meaning. Evelyn wants to better understand the son she often misunderstands; Ziggy hopes to model his life after a peer he admires at school. Their scheme lurches from farce to fragile honesty as they test what they believe they owe one another. While Ziggy pursues a brilliant classmate, Evelyn disguises herself to observe a different kind of youth from the shelter, only to encounter uncomfortable truths about love, responsibility, and what it means to grow up. The film moves at a brisk pace yet stays intimate, letting small moments carry larger questions and consequences.

Directed by Jesse Eisenberg, the film adapts his 2020 novella When You Finish Saving the World. Released in 2023, it pairs Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard in a witty, heavy drama about family, mentorship, and the price of growing up.

Box office data for this title is not widely reported, reflecting a modest release pattern and a limited theatrical footprint. Streaming presence and subsequent demand vary by region, though the film has attracted small but persistent interest among arthouse audiences.

There are no major nominations listed for the film in the Oscars, Emmys, or Golden Globes. The project has not secured prominent awards, though several reviewers have noted the film's quiet ambition and praised the chemistry between Moore and Wolfhard, as well as Eisenberg's distinctive directing choices and audience reactions.

Critics respond to the film as a sharp, intimate look at how parents and children negotiate power and empathy in the digital era. The tone blends dry humor with observant drama, highlighting how tiny choices ripple through families and shape identity. The ending invites reflection on responsibility and personal growth.