The Worst Person in the World Review

gamerant.com:

Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World is a bit misleading in its choice of title. While initially viewers are led to believe that lead character, Julie (Renate Reinsve), a 20-something who changes interests so fast it’s hard not to get whiplash, is a destructive force that should be avoided at all costs. And, at times, Julie seems like she is purposefully hurting the ones she cares about for no other reason than to feel something. But as the viewer gets to know Julie over the course of the film, which is divided into 12 chapters and a prologue/epilogue, it becomes clear that, at any given moment, someone might be the worst person in the world to someone else, or they might be their favorite person.

Trier explores that dichotomy throughout several years of Julie’s life. First, she spends time with a comic book artist named Aksel (Anders Danielsen Lie) who serves as the older, more mature boyfriend that forces Julie to take stock of what she truly values in life. Surprisingly, though, the relationship between Julie and Aksel explores a lot more than just the age gap. The Worst Person in the World has a lot to say about the compromises that exist in relationships and whether they are worth making. At first, it seems like Julie and Aksel are diametrically opposed, but their time together and out in the world shows them their common ground.

It’s not a spoiler to say that Julie and Anders' relationship doesn’t last, but the exploration of why it ends is fascinating. Trier’s script, which he co-wrote with Eskil Vogt, leverages its chapter-based structure to highlight the relativity of time. Chapters that contain moments that might seem pivotal to the characters and the audience are given just a few minutes of screen time.