An anti rom-com of sorts, The Worst Person in the World treats romance as non-existent and relationships as mere extensions of life's journey. This isn't a film about finding a soul mate, it's about finding a place in the world, or dying without completing your dreams. Yet its dark comedy is not depressing, it's just very matter of fact. The Worst Person in the World is structured as a series of chapters, capturing the struggles of a woman who hasn't found what she wants in her career or her relationships. At times the film is hilarious, at other moments it is very sad, and sometimes it is just plain quirky. What stands out most is how perfectly layered and considered the writing is, with everything just balanced expertly amongst the mishmash of drama, comedy, and fantasy. The film is also profoundly modern and contemporary, capturing the realities of current lives and relationships in a way few films manage. It's a film of ridiculous moments, but it never crosses into insincerity. Instead we see the shallow lives and trivial failures that define existence and love in the modern age. Anyone could be the worst person in the world, and those who couldn't exist only in the fantasies of Hollywood. We're all capable of being indecisive and getting lost in the world. This is a rom-com for the cynics and the lonely, executed superbly. Amazing stuff.

2021 Ranked