The Worst Person in the World

Joachim Trier wrote the script with Eskil Vogt, and the film closes his Oslo trilogy after Reprise and Oslo, August 31st. The shape is openly novelistic: a prologue, 12 chapters and an epilogue. In France it went out as Julie (en 12 chapitres). The title comes from a Norwegian turn of phrase people use against themselves when they think they have made a mistake. It was shot in Oslo, with Kasper Tuxen behind the camera. The budget was 5 million euros against a worldwide gross of 12.7 million dollars, and the Criterion Collection issued it in the summer of 2022. It played in competition at Cannes in 2021, where Renate Reinsve took the best actress award. The 94th Academy Awards gave it 2 nominations, original screenplay and international feature, and it won neither. The 75th BAFTAs gave 2 more, leading actress and film not in the English language. At Norway’s Amanda Awards it won best Norwegian film, actress, supporting actor for Anders Danielsen Lie, screenplay and original score, and took the audience prize too. The 37th Goya Awards named it best European film. A good fit if you want a structure that decides for itself how long a phase of a life should last. Not for anyone wanting a verdict at the end; it closes on an epilogue.