Foto: Kristine Kujath Torp berømmes i Cannes for sin hovedrolle.

Regissør Kristoffer Borgli har i Cannes vært påpasselig med å presisere at Syk Pike er en komedie – om noen skulle være i tvil. Men kanskje har det vært nødvendig for å gi de mer tilknappede av oss lov til å le av en mørk og (for noen) ubehagelig komikk vi så sjelden blir servert på kino. De internasjonale kritikerne i Cannes har i hvert fall ikke noen problemer med å se humoren i den selvbesatte hovedpersonen, spilt av Kristine Kujath Torp. Filmen hilses velkommen som en forfriskende satire over vår egen samtid.

«A Hilarious, Razor-Sharp Portrait Of The Worst Person In The World”, skriver Playlists anmelder.

«The pleasure in watching “Sick of Myself” is that it can bounce from a fun, meta cameo by ‘Worst’ heartthrob Anders Danielsen Lie to moments of near body-horror to stingingly witty exchanges without missing a beat. Borgli’s command of craft finds an equal and willing partner in a go-for-broke Thorp. It’s a pairing we hope to see again.»

De etablerte bransjebladene er også positive. Screen International spår at filmen vil ha en solid framtid på nisjefestivaler og som et slags kultfenomen.

«The film’s acidic satire about modern relationships and media ‘inclusivity’, along with its body horror element – in our faces courtesy of the deteriorating face of Signe – are likely to ensure Borgli’s film enjoys a strong run on the horror and cult film festival circuit after its world premiere screening in Cannes.»

«Borgli’s film is at its most unsettling when reality and fantasy begin to blur, so that we become unsure as to whether something is actually happening or merely playing out in Signe’s head. He also offers a sharp side swipe at the way marketers can latch on to illness in the name of inclusivity, as we see their ‘tolerance’ of disfigurement put to the test.»

Deadlines kritiker har enkelte innvendinger, men anerkjenner filmens vilje og evne til å gå løs på temaer de fleste andre filmskapere helst unngår:

«There’s a really good foundation for jet black satire here, and Thorp excels in the film’s superior first half, popping pills in scenes that show her effortless knack for goofy physical comedy. There’s also a little hint of Fight Club in Signe’s race to the bottom that echoes that film’s gleefully perverse embrace of nihilism..»

Hollywood Reporter mener Borgli kanskje har flere ideer enn det er plass til i filmen, men synes han lander filmen ganske bra likevel.

«Sick of Myself‘s humor stems from the dawning realization that though Signe’s choices stem from instincts that are, on some shameful level that most of us would rather keep hidden from others, deeply relatable

«But it nails the way this idea works on a personal level, in details like the logos that adorn its characters’ clothing: Sorbonne, Paris Fashion Week, Festival de Cannes. Whether they’ve actually attended any of those, or in what capacity, is beyond the point. The idea is just to suggest to everyone else that they have.»