There’s something deliciously bracing about films that deal with terrible people behaving appallingly. And the mean-spirited and spitefully enjoyable Norwegian-language satire Sick of Myself certainly doesn’t disappoint on that count. Signe (Kristine Kujath Thorp, fully committed to the deranged narcissism of the character) is disgruntled that the artistic success of her sculptor boyfriend, Thomas (Eirik Sæther), means that she is no longer the centre of attention. To bring the focus back on to herself, Signe covertly consumes a banned Russian medication (bought for her on the dark web by a lovesick computer nerd), a drug that had been recalled from the market after it caused horrific, disfiguring skin rashes. The unexplained welts and sores on Signe’s face baffle the medical establishment and, for a while at least, earn her the celebrity she craves.
Tonally, it’s like a cross between the malicious wit of Ruben Östlund’s recent pictures and the lurid excesses of John Waters’ early film Female Trouble (it’s no surprise to learn that Waters put it in his top 10 list for last year). Comedies don’t get much darker than this. It’s certainly not for everyone, but I loved it.
In selected cinemas now
