In his directorial debut, actor Jesse Eisenberg attempts something we might not expect from a first-time filmmaker: a cold, hard look at narcissism. Talk about setting yourself up for failure. Who wants to spend a couple of hours with a couple of self-obsessed jackasses? But When You Finish Saving the World (which would have benefited from a snappier title) is not only a unique family drama, it’s an articulate portrait of arrogance and self-absorption. Although social media plays a part in this scenario, looming in the background like a shadow, Eisenberg is more interested in the strained interpersonal relationship between a mother and son who share personality traits, particularly the bad ones.
