"manages to transition well between comedy, dark comedy and just plain dark"

Billed as an ‘Unromantic comedy’, Kristoffer Borgli’s Sick of Myself is in reality a much darker social satire that pulls in ideas of fame, infamy, self-destruction, celebrity and mental health. It’s not entirely successful but broadly works as an amusing and at times thought-provoking film.

The story centres around Signe (Kristine Kujath Thorp) whose boyfriend Thomas (Eirik Sæther) is a contemporary artist. Spurred on by jealousy, a need for attention and her own internal mental health issues, Signe seeks to shift the focus back onto herself by embarking on a very dangerous path of self-narcissism. 

The line between reality and fantasy becomes blurred as Signe imagines what her life could potentially turn into as she craves for fame. The fact that many of the characters are somewhat unlikeable is sort of the point – this is as much about society’s obsession with notions of the bizarre and celebrity as about those who crave such notions. 

Director Kristofer Borgli manages to transition well between comedy, dark comedy and just plain dark, moving through a narrative that becomes at times hard to watch and ends on a note of genuine curiosity – Signe, as much as she is responsible for what ultimately happens, may well be a victim of her own internal issues and a world that allows curiosity with such behaviour to thrive.

It’s well performed and manages to draw on other work (it’s no surprise to see John Waters is a fan) whilst being its own strange, unique, funny and tragic piece of work.