Oslo, August 31st

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Oslo, August 31st

2011

1h 35m

Drama

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Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

73 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Anders takes a day off from drug treatment to see friends and look for a job.

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Critics Consensus

An upfront study of a drug addict confronting his demons, Oslo, August 31st makes this dark journey worthwhile with fantastic directing and equally fantastic acting.

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David Thomson

The New Republic

06/14/2013

The beauty is in the array of animated faces in Anders' life. And it's in the simple promise and vitality of Anders' face, which serves the film without any regard for being in a film, let alone a tragedy or a poetic vision of darkness and futility.

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J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

08/31/2012

The movie transpires mostly in quiet, engrossing dialogue scenes, and its austere style shares a good deal in common with the protagonist, who seems both opaque and completely exposed.

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Rob Nelson

Minneapolis Star Tribune

08/30/2012

4/4

[Displays] an invigoratingly acute understanding of the psychology of insecurity, longing, defensiveness and inward-turning rage.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Oct 17

3/4

...effectively confirms Trier’s place as one of the most promising new directors on the international scene.

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Agustín Acevedo Kanopa

La Diaria

10/30/2022

8/10

In films that are different in style, Joachim Trier shares with Claude Sautet this idea of filming life, a life, in which in the end we add and subtract, to arrive at a barely approximate idea of whether it was worth living or not.

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Dustin Chang

Floating World

02/28/2021

It's the first/last day of Anders's life. He observes other people leading their lives with their ordinary concerns and wishes. Trier and Vogt are gifted writers, never making life's problems black and white and making sophistication easy and likable.

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S R

@ScottR 01/11/2025

I saw it for the Director Trier and once again his focus on real struggles and people's inner demons had some moving moments that I too identified with. However, it still was a bit tedious at times. My favorite scene was the job interview since I too have been in those types of situations, not as a drug addict, but where you realize you won't be getting the job during the interview. SLC DVD.

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julie b

09/19/2024

Oooooof. Heartbreaking. Oslo, August 31st isn’t flashy or ostentatious; it’s simple but emotionally impactful, and in a 90 minute 1-day contained package, it hits hard (I love a contained story!!!). Trier perfectly captures depression, feeling lost, and loneliness - the loneliness of conversing with a friend, even a close friend, and being completely not understood; loneliness in a crowded room; loneliness in the face of superficiality; and the loneliness and alienation of being at the age where everyone is in such a different place (hiiii!!!!). Anders’ performance and our closeness to his character critically underpin this and make it feel SO real - we are in his head, seeing with his eyes, hearing with his ears, and watching his expression. Also, the use of slow zoom, silence, and voiceover on landscape scenes further the impact. “It will get better. Everything will be alright. Except it won’t, you know” “Two glasses of wine. That’s as good as it gets” “l’m here, but what am I doing? I think I am trying to remember what I was supposed to do”

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Dani G

09/23/2023

With just the title, I was almost obliged to see this one... because August 31st it's my birthday!! Good film

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favio c

08/04/2023

Impactante bofetada ambientada en noruega donde puedes sentir la culpa si es que te identificas con la historia.

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Matthew R

01/30/2023

Heartbreaking and beautiful. How someone could put these incredibly deep emotions into a film with such amazing acting and direction is beyond me. Must watch for everyone

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Koustabh C

01/24/2023

THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A TW FOR THIS.

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Joachim Trier

Director

Anders Danielsen Lie

Anders

Hans Olav Brenner

Thomas

Petter Width Kristiansen

Petter

Ingrid Olava

Rebecca

Øystein Røger

David

Critics Consensus: Men in Black III Is Solid Fun

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Synopsis

Anders takes a day off from drug treatment to see friends and look for a job.

Director: Joachim Trier
Producer: Hans-Jørgen Osnes, Yngve Sæther
Screenwriter: Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt
Production Co: Motlys, Don't Look Now
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Norwegian
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 5, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $100.7K
Runtime: 1h 35m

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