The Worst Person in the World
The brief
Joachim Trier's Oslo-set quarter-life crisis feels like scrolling through someone's perfectly curated Instagram while they're secretly falling apart inside. Renate Reinsve is magnetic as Julie, a perpetually indecisive woman whose romantic ping-ponging between two very different men becomes a sharp meditation on modern paralysis and self-sabotage. The film moves in chapters that skip through time with surprising jolts, creating this restless energy that mirrors Julie's own inability to commit to anything. It's cynical about love without being mean about it, finding dark humor in how we convince ourselves we're the protagonist when we're often just making everyone else's life harder. Perfect if you loved Frances Ha but wished it had more Nordic melancholy and better cinematography.
The verdict
If you're drawn to character studies about messy, self-sabotaging women navigating modern romance with dark humor and gorgeous cinematography, this is essential viewing that earned its near-universal critical acclaim. If you prefer plot-driven stories or get frustrated by indecisive protagonists making poor choices for over two hours, you'll find this Nordic meditation on quarter-life paralysis more exhausting than insightful.
Watch with
- 👤 Perfect for solo viewing and self-reflection
- 👫 Great date night for couples ready to discuss commitment
- ⚠️ Skip if you're going through a breakup
Heads up
- Sexual content and nudity throughout (moderate)
- Drug use including psychedelics (brief)
- Emotionally heavy themes about mortality (moderate)
Credits
- Director
- Joachim Trier
- Cast
- Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum, Hans Olav Brenner, Helene Bjørneby, Vidar Sandem, Maria Grazia Di Meo
Official synopsis
The chronicles of four years in the life of Julie, a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Frances Ha (2013)
Both explore young women navigating quarter-life crises with honest, naturalistic storytelling.
Total runtime: 2h 8m + 1h 26m = 3h 34m
