The Worst Person In The World

Joachim Trier |  88 min  |  Norway  |  2021  |  Comedy-Drama  |  15  |  

A woman in her late twenties drifts through careers, relationships, and existential questions in modern-day Oslo. The Worst Person in the World is a sharply observed, bittersweet film about indecision, self-discovery, and the quiet chaos of becoming an adult.

Julie, played with luminous vulnerability by Renate Reinsve, is a restless soul who can’t seem to settle — not in love, not in work, not in life. Over four years, she navigates a series of choices and missteps, from a relationship with an older comic artist to a chance encounter that turns her world upside down. Structured in twelve chapters, the film blends realism with moments of surreal beauty, capturing the messiness of modern life with wit and compassion.

Directed by Joachim Trier and co-written with longtime collaborator Eskil Vogt, The Worst Person in the World is the final installment in Trier’s Oslo Trilogy. It premiered at Cannes to critical acclaim, earning Reinsve the Best Actress award and garnering Oscar nominations for Best International Feature and Best Original Screenplay. A European response to Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, the film resonates deeply with anyone who’s ever felt like they’re stumbling through adulthood, offering a poignant, often funny reflection on the search for meaning and identity in an ever-shifting world.

In Norwegian with English subtitles