Perhaps director Kristoffer Borgli saw The Worst Person in the World as a challenge. This tale of a woman in Oslo has less catharsis and more seeping wounds, but similar send-ups of the ludicrousness of modern society. Signe (Kristine Kujath Thorp) is a woman dissatisfied with her artist boyfriend Thomas (Eirik Sæther), who is suddenly experiencing success with his work. She stews over this at her barista job when a woman is attacked by a dog, falling into her arms in a bloody heap. For the rest of the day, Signe is covered in this woman’s blood, and everyone asks her about it. Signe realizes that if she wants attention, she needs to make it seem like something horrible has happened. After testing her theory by faking an allergic reaction at dinner, Signe orders some pills from overseas that cause her to break out in hideous hives. She loves it.

Signe is not well even before she starts Munchausen-ing herself, but once she starts doing Invisible Man cosplay, she goes off the deep end. Forcing her way into modeling shoots, getting off on imagining her funeral, rubbing the attention in Thomas’ face – her antics only increase with the amount of skin peeling off her face, a great practical effect reminiscent of Cronenberg’s many mutilations. Like many social satires, the story gets a bit murky in the middle (how many parties can one woman disrupt?), but Thorp’s performance is always fun and dastardly. Fans of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend will appreciate this new spin on a demented social climber looking to get back at those she perceives as enemies.

Sick of Myself
2022
Dir. Kristoffer Borgli
95 min.

Screened as part of the 2023 Boston Underground Film Festival – click here for schedule and pass info, and watch this space for our continuing coverage!