The Worst Person in The World is One of The Year’s Best
Image Courtesy of NEON
By Dean Robbins
Julie (Renate Reinsve), a woman in the throes of post-college young adulthood, is The Worst Person in the World. She feels certain in her career choice and relationship only to discover her real vocation is in something else and with someone else. She is independent, yet afraid of growing up. Perhaps worst of all, she sometimes just deliberately gives up on something steady for the possibility of finding a better life, even with the risk of making a mistake.
Danish director Joachim Trier, who made the film in Norwegian, segments the film into fourteen distinct parts: a prologue, twelve chapters, and an epilogue. These parts form a larger chronological story centered on four years of Julie’s life, but they are self-contained in theme. Some are short, like the section that lampoons the modern tension between provocation and sensitivity through a television interview. Others are longer, focusing on a particularly important story beat. The tone shifts back and forth between hilariously awkward, raunchy comedy, melodramatic romance, and gut-wrenching melancholy. Under the careful eye of Trier, the film completely pulls off its complex, mosaic portrait of young adulthood in the present era. Just when you think are safe and comfortable, Trier brilliantly pulls out the rug, leaving one speechless. Chapter Twelve, the film’s final chapter, is 2021’s most powerful film moment, second only to the sign language performance in Drive My Car.
The film is not only an incredible experience story-wise, but it is also a joy to watch on a technical level. The editing and cinematography are both stunning. One expert section is centered on Julie running through a world where time has stopped. Within the story, it represents Julie escaping her current life for another one; a life in between fantasy and reality. Additionally, the soundtrack is one of 2021 films’ best, featuring tracks from Art Garfunkel, Harry Nilsson, and Billie Holiday, among others.
The Worst Person in the World is one of cinema’s greatest portrayals of the uncertainties and complexities of young adulthood alongside Lost in Translation (2004), La La Land (2016), and Before Sunrise (1995). Ultimately, being the “worst person in the world” is about living through mistakes that will, in the end, make you a better person. The film is filled with a melancholy and beautiful appreciation of youth that only comes when it begins to fade away. It is a rare kind of film that leaves you with a smile and a few tears at the same time. The film has been nominated for Best International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. The Worst Person in the World is now playing in theaters.
