Named one of the 100 best films of the century by The New York Times. It may seem trivial to say this, but life is an eternal learning experience - and Verdens verste menneske makes a small synthesis of this thought. Nominated for two categories at the 2022 Oscars, Best Foreign Film and Best Original Screenplay, the romantic comedy is a generational reflection of many young adults and, without a doubt, one of the best films of the 2021/2022 season. The story makes us reflect that often we find the right person in the wrong relationship and vice versa. The biggest problem is feeling an emptiness every time we meet (or get used to) someone. After all, it is up to us to fill what is empty in us and not in other people. In life, we have infinite possibilities and indecisions. Often, relationships prevent us from seeing that we are only spectators of other people's choices. Decisions are difficult to make, but they are necessary - especially when our priorities in life begin to be distorted.
Handling the Undead is a Norwegian film and one of the most interesting zombie propositions you’ll see in years. The story follows three characters dealing with their grief over the recent deaths of loved ones when a mysterious event causes the dead to return to life without explanation. This is not the type of film that presents a catastrophic and spectacular zombie apocalypse, but rather, through sensitive performances (one of them by Renate Reinsve, star of The Worst Person in the World), it reflects on what it means to move forward when we’ve lost everything, but can’t let the past die. Read more in our full review of Handling the Undead.
A Different Man is a brilliant comedy whose title suggests several meanings. The story begins with Edward (Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice), a man whose face is disfigured by neurofibromatosis, affecting his confidence and ability to connect in a world that routinely rejects ugliness. He falls in love with his neighbor Ingrid (Renate Reinsve, The Worst Person in the World), a beautiful playwright, but when a miraculous cure reverses his deformities, he decides to fake his death and start fresh under the identity of "Guy." Things take an ironic turn when Ingrid writes a play inspired by Edward, and Oswald (Adam Pearson) appears, a man who, despite also suffering from neurofibromatosis, is charismatic and leads a full life. The title A Different Man could suggest that naïve, idealized Hollywood empathy for people with physical differences. However, the script and direction by Aaron Schimberg steer the attention in the opposite direction, focusing on our constant aspiration to be something different from what we are, unable to be comfortable in our own skin and, as Lady Gaga (supposedly) says, to accept what is.
Armand is a thriller written and directed by Norwegian filmmaker Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel (grandson of director Ingmar Bergman and actress Liv Ullmann). The story revolves around a complicated case in a school: a 6-year-old boy is accused of sexually assaulting another, and the parents are summoned to be informed of the matter and seek a solution. However, truths about the people involved are slowly revealed, which distort the perception of the events. With an outstanding performance by Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World), it’s a film that questions how biases, prejudices, and emotions can seep into the cracks of the truth, ultimately distorting and perverting it.
