None of the characters in The Worst Person in the World are actually the worst person in the world. The title comes from a throwaway line about the supporting character Eivind (Robert Nordrum), and the deep anxieties he has about his environmental impact. Compared to the twisted protagonists of other movies at the Toronto International Film Festival like Titane, The Power of the Dog, and Dear Evan Hansen, the characters in The Worst Person in the World are relatable and sympathetic not in spite of their deep flaws but because of them.
This is the third film in Norwegian director Joachim Trier's "Oslo Trilogy," following 2006's Reprise and 2011's Oslo, August 21st. The "Oslo Trilogy" is only loosely connected by setting, theme, and Anders Danielsen Lie's casting, so you don't need to see the other two films prior to this one to enjoy it. This deeply funny comedy-drama follows four years in the evolving relationship between the chronically indecisive millennial Julie (Renate Reinsve) and the older underground cartoonist Aksel (Danielsen Lie). Trier's The Worst Person in the World is one of 2021's best, funniest, and most insightful films.
The Worst Person in the World, which runs a little over two hours, is broken up into 12 chapters, plus a prologue and an epilogue. While all the segments connect to the ongoing development of the characters, many of the early chapters are conceptually sharp enough that they could operate as their own hilarious short films, asking comical questions like, "Is it technically cheating to watch a hot stranger pee?" or "How can blowjobs be made more feminist?" Chapters dedicated to daydreams and drug trips add more visual humor and striking effects work while simultaneously marking major turning points for Julie's understanding of her life. Later chapters take a heavier tone, with dark turns forcing both Julie and Aksel to confront their many regrets.
Julie's regrets are already building up in the prologue. Attempting to build careers in nursing, psychology, photography, and journalism, she might very be talented enough to succeed at any of these pursuits had she actually put her mind to them. When it comes to romance, things are even scarier than it is with jobs: she's more invested in the pursuit of love than in sticking with relationships, even ones that genuinely seem to be working. As she enters her thirties, her angst is heightened with comparisons to everything her ancestors had achieved in life by age 30.
If Julie's biggest problem is that she runs away from big decisions, Aksel represents the complications that happen when sticking too strongly to ideas. Julie doesn't care about Aksel's edgy R. Crumb-esque comic sensation Bobcat but admires his dedication to his career. How he expresses that dedication himself is a mixed bag. He's clearly trying to evolve his art in more mature directions, but it's Bobcat that defines him. When he's fighting with movie studio execs who try to neuter Bobcat into an anodyne children's cartoon, it's easy to take his side. When he's fighting with feminist critics calling out his work's offensive content, the argument gets more complicated -- even if you agree with the points he's making, you'll cringe at how he makes them.
The Worst Person in the World is brilliantly written, acted, and directed. Its episodic nature keeps things fast and lively while more realistically reflecting how people grow than a traditional three-act structure would. Narration is used effectively to bridge the gaps in events, as well as to add additional humor. Reinsve, Danielsen Lie, and Nordrum are instantly charming even when their characters inspire discomfort. Given distributor Neon's proven ability to sell international films to the American mainstream, Joachim Trier might just have his biggest hit ever on his hands.
The Worst Person in the World will be released by Neon later this year.
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