It’s rare that a good director’s films keep getting better, but that’s the case with Joachim Trier, who continues to provide fresh takes on different genres. He was last in Palm Springs in 2018 with the telekinesis thriller Thelma. Now he’s back with a poignant relationship dramedy featuring another extraordinary heroine, the late-20-something Julie (Cannes Best Actress winner Renate Reinsve) who is looking for love and meaning in the modern world. Fluidly and audaciously told in 12 chapters, plus a prologue and epilogue, the film follows intelligent, ambitious but terribly uncertain Julie as she tries on different courses of study and relationships for size, and breaks a few hearts along the way. Unlike Hollywood rom-coms where everything miraculously turns out fine without any real-world repercussions, Trier and his longtime co-writer Eskil Vogt capture the melancholy and uncertainty that come with decisions and mistakes, making this a universal film for the ages.