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The Worst Person in the World (2022) movie poster

Spoiler-Free Summary

The Worst Person in the World (2022) Spoiler-Free Summary – What It's About

Release, runtime and language
2022 · 121 min · Norwegian
Echo score 85
Directed by
Joachim Trier
Starring
Anders Danielsen Lie, Hans Olav Brenner, Helene Bjørnebye, Herbert Nordrum, Maria Grazia Di Meo, Marianne Krogh
Budget
$5M

This poignant comedy-drama follows Julie as she explores her twenties, grappling with love, career choices, and the search for identity in Oslo. Over four years, the film chronicles her journey through 12 chapters, depicting both joyful and painful experiences. Renate Reinsve delivers a remarkable performance as Julie, a young woman navigating relationships with two very different men and seeking happiness amidst the complexities of modern life.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What it is about
  3. 3 Is it worth watching?
  4. 4 After you watch
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Movies like The Worst Person in the World
  7. 7 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Worst Person in the World (2022)

Where can you watch The Worst Person in the World? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Kanopy, Tubi TV and Amazon Video: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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Spoiler-free summary · safe to read

What Is The Worst Person in the World About? (No Spoilers)

The plot of The Worst Person in the World (2022) without spoilers: what it is about, who it follows and where it takes place, told without the twists or the ending. Enough to decide whether it is your next watch, not enough to ruin it.

In modern Oslo, a city that feels both intimate and expansive, a young woman named Julie stands at the crossroads of her twenties. She drifts between the expectations of a traditional career path and the allure of more creative, uncertain pursuits, letting the city's quiet cafés and bustling streets mirror her own restlessness. The film’s tone blends subtle humor with lingering melancholy, capturing the everyday poetry of a life that feels simultaneously ordinary and profound.

Julie navigates love with a thoughtful, older comic‑artist, whose seasoned perspective offers both comfort and constraint, and a charismatic barista whose spontaneous energy pulls her toward a different kind of freedom. These contrasting connections serve as lenses through which she examines what intimacy, commitment, and self‑expression truly mean, while the surrounding world—familial shadows, artistic circles, and the ever‑present Oslo skyline—keeps whispering possibilities and doubts alike.

The story unfolds in a series of vignette‑like chapters, each framed by quiet observation and witty dialogue, allowing the audience to linger on the textures of Julie’s internal landscape. As she experiments with writing, photography, and shifting academic interests, the film invites viewers to contemplate the messy, often humorous search for identity that defines contemporary adulthood. The mood is contemplative yet gently buoyant, promising a portrait of a woman whose journey is as much about the moments between decisions as the decisions themselves.

Last updated: August 10, 2025 at 00:22

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What to expect

Is The Worst Person in the World Worth Watching? What It Feels Like

Is it dark, sad, slow, intense or confusing? The mood of The Worst Person in the World (2022) in a few tags, without a word about how it ends. Each tag opens a list of movies that feel the same.

After you watch

Seen The Worst Person in the World? Read the Ending Explained

Once you have watched The Worst Person in the World (2022), come back for the full story: the plot summary with spoilers, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and what happens at the end, explained.

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Worst Person in the World, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Worst Person in the World tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Bittersweet Coming-of-Age Movies like The Worst Person in the World

Character-driven stories about finding yourself, with both joy and sorrow. If you enjoyed the honest and reflective journey in The Worst Person in the World, you'll find similar stories here. This selection features movies that delve into the search for identity, the weight of life choices, and the bittersweet nature of growing up, perfect for fans of character-driven drama and comedy.

  • introspective
  • yearning
  • nostalgic
  • contemplative
  • intimate
  • honest
  • Tone: bittersweet, honest, reflective
  • Pacing: variable, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically follow a protagonist navigating pivotal life decisions across love, work, and family. The structure is often episodic, covering a span of years to show growth and change. The central conflict is internal, revolving around existential questions and the desire for authenticity, leading to an ending that is realistic rather than purely happy.

Why they belong together: They are grouped by their shared focus on the emotional complexity of young adulthood, a specific bittersweet tone that balances humor with heartache, and a relatable exploration of universal themes like commitment, creativity, and mortality.

Intimate Episodic Dramas like The Worst Person in the World

Stories told in chapters, capturing significant moments across years. Fans of The Worst Person in the World's chapter-based storytelling will appreciate these movies. This thread collects films that use an episodic structure to explore a character's journey through love, loss, and personal growth, offering a similarly nuanced and reflective viewing experience.

  • intimate
  • contemplative
  • nostalgic
  • honest
  • reflective
  • episodic
  • Tone: intimate, honest, contemplative
  • Pacing: variable, reflective
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The story unfolds not as a single, linear plot but through distinct segments, each highlighting a crucial event or period. This structure emphasizes theme and character development over conventional plot momentum, often resulting in a complex, reflective narrative that feels more like a slice of life than a traditional story arc.

Why they belong together: They share a distinctive narrative structure that prioritizes intimate character study over plot, a variable pacing that alternates between impactful events and quiet reflection, and a focus on the accumulation of life experiences.

If you liked this

Movies Like The Worst Person in the World

Similar movies to The Worst Person in the World: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

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Every angle

The Worst Person in the World (2022) Explained: Plot, Ending, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Worst Person in the World in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning, the ending explained and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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