Sick of Myself – Vinegar Syndrome Pictures (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Norway/Sweden/Denmark/France, 2022
Director: Kristoffer Borgli
Writer: Kristoffer Borgli
Cast: Kristine Kujath Thorp, Eirik Sæther, Fanny Vaager, Sarah Francesca Brænne, Fredrik Stenberg Ditlev-Simonsen, Steinar Klouman Hallert

Release Date: May 26th, 2023
Approximate running time: 97 Minutes 16 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Aspect ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 Norwegian, DTS-HD Stereo Norwegian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $42.98

"Signe and Thomas are young lovers in an increasingly competitive, and dangerous, relationship. As Thomas's success as a contemporary artist grows, building sculptures from stolen goods, Signe concocts a plan to get all eyes in Oslo on her instead, only it involves grotesquely altering her appearance and body chemistry in the process." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Originally shot on 35mm."

Sick of Myself comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.6 GB

Feature: 29.2 GB

The source used for this transfer looks excellent. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity, black levels and compression are solid.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 Norwegian, DTS-HD Stereo Norwegian)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Norwegian and a DTS-HD stereo mix in Norwegian. Both tracks sound clear and balanced. Though this is a dialog-driven film, ambient sounds are well represented. Included are removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Norwegian with non-removable English subtitles), a video essay by Samm Deighan titled Abject Bodies in Transgressive Arthouse Cinema (15 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), a short film directed by Kristoffer Borgli titled Eer (8 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an interview with prosthetic makeup artist Izzi Galindo titled Living Sculptures (18 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an interview with actor Eirik Sæther titled A Skewed View (15 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an interview with actress Kristine Kujath Thorp titled So, So, So Toxic (19 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an interview with director Kristoffer Borgli titled Negative Impulses (22 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an audio commentary with Kristoffer Borgli, reversible cover art, a deluxe package features a hardbox that holds a slipcover, and a sixteen page booklet with an essay written by Sabina Stent.

Summary:

Sick of Myself is a biting satire that delves into the modern obsession with adoration and how social media has been a driving force behind this phenomenon. It explores the narcissism that drives this phenomenon and the depths one would go to be adored.

The narrative revolves around a couple: an artist named Thomas and his girlfriend Signe. Neither of these characters tolerates not being the focal point of attention, even more so when it comes to Signe, who is tired of being overshadowed by the attention Thomas is getting because of his art. She deliberately takes pills that she knows are harmful; they cause a skin disease.

Sick of Myself is all about its characters, and from its opening moments, it does a superb job letting them shine. And when it comes to the performances, the cast is all very good in their roles. With the two leads, Kristine Kujath Thorp in the role of Signe and Eirik Sther in the role of Thomas, delivering phenomenal performances in which they fully immerse themselves into character.

That said, despite being filled with unlikable characters, this never works against Sick of Myself. And though the premise on its surface sounds crazy, when viewed through the lens of the world we now live in, it's easy to believe that such a premise is utterly tangible. When it comes to Signe’s self-loathing and her self-mutilation, these are two areas where Sick of Myself excels the most. She becomes part of victim culture despite being the perpetrator. Ultimately, Sick of Myself is a brilliant dissection of individuals who crave being the center of attention.

Sick of Myself gets an exceptional release from Vinegar Syndrome Pictures that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Note: This release is limited to 3,000 units.

 Written by Michael Den Boer