A young woman befriends a lonely widow who’s harboring a dark and deadly agenda towards her.
It’s never a good sign when the audience is outsmarting the film. As a viewer, there’s always some story of when someone else in the theater starts making comments, telling jokes, or starts telling the character on screen that “they shouldn’t go in there!” Any moviegoer has had this experience before and most can agree that it’s pretty obnoxious. In the rare exceptions, it’s the whole theater. It has to be a poor sign of the film when the majority of the theater turns against the protagonist and laughs at the twisted behaviors of the villain. This is what happened for this moviegoer when seeing “Greta.”
“Greta,” on paper, is an incredibly exciting film. Following Chloë Grace Moretz and having her back in a smaller release where she has a bit freedom alongside Isabelle Huppert creates for a wonderful duo that could have really hit some magic chemistry. This premise of a dark thriller take on “Harold and Maude” should have been played much more exciting than this film actually does. At the core, the two deliver alright performances that have their moments but never really seem to hit the rhythm needed to create a deeper level of connection for the two characters.
The recurring theme of this film is that everything feels like a first pass. The script feels as though it was the first draft, leaving lots to be desired in terms of personality as each line simply services as an expository voice to rush the setup. This turns into very plot point A to plot point B writing style with very little coming from the dialogue then predictable twist that the person behind, and in front of the viewer could call out at the screen a minute before the characters do.
All of the technical elements undermine the actions of the whole film. In a movie like this, suspense is key to delivering the right about of shock and drama. With plenty of moments on paper that should hold the viewer at the edge of the seat, it’s a shame that they’re undercut by poorly timed cuts that feel harsh and unnatural or by pieces in the score that start too early or hit their climax at the wrong beat. All together, it feels as if they left the post-production intern in for the first go and never went back.
Riddled with poor timing, little chemistry, and forced drama, “Greta” does become a fun good time once the viewer accepts that it’s not going to get any better. It leaves much to be desired and is in need of a massive tightening up overhaul. Once this happens, maybe the audience will root for the characters rather than laugh at them.
Now playing in theaters
