Classic Film Review #30: The Worst Person in the World

The third instalment in Joachim Trier’s acclaimed ‘Oslo Trilogy’ is an affair as complex and misleading as its title, as it documents a young woman’s relationship travails and attempts to determine her life’s purpose. Such a role requires two things to work effectively – good writing and a convincing lead performance and thankfully The Worst Person in the World has both.

Focusing on the former element, Trier and Eskil Vogt’s screenplay is a layered and chameleonic work that invites its audience to make snap judgements of Renate Reinsve’s protagonist, who continuously demonstrates an inability to commit to anything other than her own quest for self-fulfilment. Such a singular approach to life can of course cause unspeakable damage to those who are affected by it, which in this case is a duo of jilted lovers.

Crucially, Trier’s film shows that such philosophies are rarely driven out of pure selfishness, or a desire to hurt the ones we love. Moreover, they are a by-product of our own experiences and trauma, much of which stem from our formative years. This ensures The Worst Person in the World is a constantly evolving beast that makes you question your impulses and prejudices.

Key to this is Reinsve’s towering central performance, which rightfully earned the Best Actress award at the 2021 Cannes festival. Throughout the film’s near two-hour runtime, we are made to observe the central character’s evolution and oscillation between emotions and state of being through a kaleidoscope of subtle emotions and sudden outbursts, which altogether makes for a fascinating and challenging study.