[2] His father, Jacob Trier, was the sound technician of The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix, a notable film produced in Norway in 1975.
Ellen Margrethe Sand of Verdens Gang praised Trier writing, "[He] utilises the scarcely allotted time and his film medium to the last drop".
[17] In 2015, Trier directed the English-language film Louder Than Bombs, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Gabriel Byrne, and Isabelle Huppert.
[18] It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival[19] where it received positive reviews with acclaim for its leading performance from Huppert.
[20] His fourth feature, the supernatural horror-romance Thelma, screened at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival to positive reviews.
[21] Andrew Barber of Variety praised the film describing it as an, "unnervingly effective slow-burn, and those with the patience for Trier’s patient accumulation of detail will find it pays off in unexpected ways.
[28] Trier and Knausgård visit locations from Munch's life, discuss his works, themes, obsessions, and process.
[33][34][35][36] Karl Ove Knausgård stated "When I was invited to curate the exhibition, I proposed that we make a film to coincide with it.
[47] In 2012, Trier participated in the Sight & Sound critics' poll where he listed his 10 favorite films in alphabetical order:[48]