Joachim Trier's The Worst Person In The World Inducted Into The Criterion Collection

"The Worst Person in the World" is coming to the Criterion Closet. Joachim Trier's Norwegian dark comedy-drama has swept the festival circuit and picked up multiple awards, including the Best Foreign Language Film award by the New York Film Critics Circle, and a Best Actress award for its star, Renate Reinsve, upon its debut at Cannes Film Festival. "The Worst Person in the World" is also Norway's official Oscar submission for the Best International Feature Film category at this year's Academy Awards.

The third film in Trier's Oslo Trilogy following the films "Reprise" and "Oslo, 31 August," "The Worst Person in the World" unpacks a woman's search for love and purpose in the modern landscape. The story is told over twelve chapters with titles like, "Chapter 3 – Oral Sex in the Age of #MeToo," and "Chapter 9 – Bobcat Wrecks Xmas." Here's the official synopsis:

"The Worst Person in the World" is a modern dramedy about the quest for love and meaning in contemporary Oslo. It chronicles four years in the life of Julie (Reinsve), a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path, leading her to take a realistic look at who she really is.

"The Worst Person in the World" features a highly acclaimed performance by Renate Reinsve ("The Orheim Company") who continues her starring roles in the Olso Trilogy as she weathers the slings and arrows of life and love with two polarized men: Aksel (Anders Danielsen Lie) and Eivind (Herbert Nordrum). The film was directed by Joachim Trier and co-written by Trier and Eskil Vogt. 

Vogt recently penned and directed another festival darling this year, "The Innocents," about a handful of Nordic children with superpowers — and one of them is a real Bad News Bear. The film played at Fantastic Fest 2021 and blew the mind of this film critic in a blind screening. "The Innocents" sounds like a corny "Bad Seed" derivative, but don't be fooled — Vogt pulls phenomenal performances out of his child actors and strikes a similar menacing tone as Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala's 2014 psychological horror film "Goodnight Mommy." 

"The Worst Person in the World" is produced by Thomas Robsahm (who previously produced Trier films "Louder Than Bombs" and "Thelma") and Andrea Berentsen Ottmar. The film has been picked up for US distribution by NEON ("Ingrid Goes West," "Parasite"), and MUBI ("Shiva Baby," "Lamb") has distribution rights for Ireland, the UK, and India.

"The Worst Person in the World" arrives in theaters on February 4, 2022.