"I've got a major headache."

Norwegian writer/director Kristoffer Borgli is about to see his profile explode thanks to helming the new Nic Cage movie Dream Scenario, but as a fan of the director's very first feature film, Drib, I was curious to see how his first proper narrative film, 2022's Sick of Myself, bridged the gap between the other two films.

The quasi-documentary Drib—which claimed to feature reenactments of real events—followed Iranian provocateur and internet personality Amir Asgharnejad as he went about landing a lucrative contract to be a spokesman for an energy drink, before eventually imploding and losing the deal. It was a fascinating portrait of a man who actively sabotaged himself, and Borgli's camera couldn't look away.

Remember that famous moment in Taxi Driver when Scorsese's camera can't bear to watch Travis Bickle awkwardly ask Betsy over the phone why she doesn't want to see him again and has to pan away from the conversation? Had Kristoffer Borgli directed that movie, he not only would have lingered on Travis, he'd have amped his behavior up to Tim Robinson levels of indignation.

In fact, fans of the astonishingly uncomfortable cringe comedy of I Think You Should Leave are likely to also enjoy Borgli's Sick of Myself. The film centers around the toxic relationship between a kleptomaniac artist named Thomas (Eirik Sæther) and his girlfriend Signe (Kristine Kujath Thorp). Thomas creates art with various things he steals—the film's opening scene revolves around the theft of an expensive bottle of Grand Cru—and as his profile begins to rise, so too does Signe's jealousy over his newfound celebrity.

Signe's attention seeking behavior goes to some extreme lengths, like faking a severe nut allergy at a fancy dinner party celebrating Thomas. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg in her ultimate plan to steal all of Thomas' attention. The self-centered artist is no victim here, as the couple's unique form of co-dependency leads him to one-up her in attention grabbing tactics.

Sick of Myself is most assuredly not a film for everyone. I would wager to say that the vast majority of people who watch the film will be repulsed by it, either by the characters, the scenarios, the makeup design, there's a lot here to be offended by depending upon how one views the film. However, I would go so far as to say that I prefer this film to both The Worst Person in the World and Triangle of Sadness, two recent Oscar feted European films with similarly off-putting subject matter.

The fun of "Sick of Myself" is in the constant, increasingly needless one-upsmanship of Signe. Whatever depths you think she won't sink to, she's all too happy to go even further than your worst fears at any given moment. This dedication to pushing things past the point of comfortability is something of Borgli's specialty. He also manages to maintain empathy for his characters, even as they act like petulant children, while simultaneously allowing the audience to enjoy when they get their comeuppance.

Leading lady Kristine Kujath Thorp is truly dedicated and a real discovery, though she's far from an unknown in Norway. However, she's completely and totally comfortable in the skin of this terrible human being and the rare moments of humanity she gives Signe only make the performance more impactful. Were she any less dedicated, the film wouldn't work half as well as it does, but her commitment makes the comedy funnier and darker all at once.

The film has very pointed things to say about vanity, people's constant need to reinvent themselves, and how social media allows everyone to put on a happy face to the world when everything is actually going to hell. It's not the first film to make a lot of these points, but it certainly is the most entertaining and sends the audience out on a pitch black note that will resonate long after the film is over.

Again, it's not for everyone, but if you've gotten this far and think it sounds like something you'd enjoy, I can almost guarantee you will.