A group of teenagers living in the same challenging neighborhood are chosen to act in a film. The film that Gabriel (Johan Heldenbergh) is making contains lowlifes, pregnant teenages, abusive parents, and the like–in many ways accurately representing what these teenagers deal with on a regular basis. These teenagers have been referred to as The Worst Ones, and as film production moves forward, their real lives are affected–and now the world can see why they’ve earned this moniker.
Mallory Wanecque is the film’s lead, and she exists among a massive group of other actors that work together to create a dramatic film. Wanecque, however, seems to be the most talented. She’s incredibly powerful, and there are moments when I forgot that I was watching a narrative and felt like I was following a real person as they attempted to make a film. The Worst Ones does a good job of this, creating a sense of realism that allows viewers to forget that they're watching a movie and better connect with the people on screen, and Wanecque is the primary reason for viewers being able to feel this way.
That’s sort of the case with the entire film, viewers are able to connect with the things that they see on screen. The drama and the real-life situations depicted on screen are incredibly accessible, and I’m not sure that there’s ever a moment in which viewers feel disconnected. That’s a great challenge, but The Worst Ones pulls it off with grace.
With all of that being said, however, I think there are some issues with the story. While some might argue that The Worst Ones possesses two unique stories running parallel to one another, I feel as if the reality is that neither one is fully developed. It’s not that the film is underwhelming or that the film isn’t entertaining, because these things couldn’t be further from the truth. However, there are some slight hindrances knowing that there really isn’t a plot (and certainly not a singular one). Not really having a story to follow can be frustrating, and I believe that’s the case with The Worst Ones–as I never really knew the direction that the film was headed, and it felt almost incomplete as a result.
Like the incomplete storyline, there are some discrepancies with Gabriel as well. For the majority of the film, he’s your typical director, a character that is heavily focused on his passion, but has the ability to create connections with his cast and crew and develop the best possible product as a result. However, there are moments throughout the course of The Worst Ones in which he’s erratic, and that’s never built on. That part of the character is never developed, and I struggled knowing that there was this piece of the puzzle that is only touched on, creating something like a hole in the development of the film and the character. This isn’t like the issue with the story (because the story is still enjoyable, even with it being a tad underdeveloped) because it fractures the character and steals from it.
The Worst Ones faces a few issues throughout. From the story to some near misses in terms of character development, there are times throughout the course of The Worst Ones in which the film struggles as a whole. With that being said, however, The Worst Ones so beautifully captures the attention of viewers throughout. Regardless of the film’s shortcomings, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that viewers really connect with the characters on screen, and that they are able to appreciate most of what is being said and done. All in all, even with the issues that befall this dramatic feature, The Worst Ones does a wonderful job of reaching viewers and creating some honest, accessible content.
Directed by Lise Akoka & Romane Gueret.
Written by Lise Akoka, Romane Gueret, Elénore Gurrey, & Catherine Paillé.
Starring Mallory Wanecque, Timéo Mahaut, Johan Heldenbergh, Loïc Pech, Mélina Vanderplancke, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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