TIFF 2021: The Worst Person in the World Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

A film with a title of The Worst Person in the World may take some audiences aback but the film is so much more than that. Making a splash since premiering at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, this winding coming-of-age story earned raves for lead actress Renate Reinsve as she won the Best Actress award. Perhaps a touch too long, clocking in at over 2 hours, she is certainly the best part of the film. Reinsve and the script deliver a compelling and relatable main character who goes through a rollercoaster of self-discovery over the course of the film. She may not arguably the best person in the world (hence the title) as she definitely makes plenty of mistakes as any would surely have done in her position but it was through this that audiences connect with her because she is all of us. While the film may not all work, it is that strong connection that helps create that powerful journey.

The Worst Person in the World follows a young woman named Julie (Reinsve) as she navigates the many ups and downs of adulthood in the hopes of figuring out herself and her future. A seemingly fickle person, she went from profession to profession and from relationship to relationship, always searching for a sense of purpose and fulfillment and trying to figure out what she wanted out of life. Still young, suffice it to say that this wasn’t necessarily clear-cut for her. Told via a series of chapters, including a prologue and epilogue, the film follows Julie over a four year period through her relationships and various trials and tribulations. It was through her experiences that she eventually got closer to learning who she really was. She essentially had to grow up in front of our eyes.

There was certainly plenty of emotion to be had but in the end, The Worst Person in the World lives or dies based on the connection between Julie and audiences. If it’s not there, the film will not work though in its case, Reinsve delivers a star-making performance as Julie, serving as a perfect guide through the highs and lows of Julie’s journey. Meanwhile, her great chemistry with Lie as Aksel, one of Julie’s boyfriends, was also a delight to watch.

At the end of the day, The Worst Person in the World is more than its title and is worth the watch if only to see its star on the rise.

 still courtesy of TIFF

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.