Greta

Greta conveys all the qualities of a 90s revenge thriller. It also has the right amount of cheesiness to make you feel nostalgic, bringing the familiarity of watching Fatal Attraction on TV on a late Sunday afternoon. The only problem with this is that we’re not in the 90s anymore, and although there are some elements here and there that make the movie entertaining enough, the formula turns out to be repetitive and sadly predictable.

But let’s start with the highlights. Isabelle Huppert shines, as usual, in the titular role. There´s something off about her from the very beginning, but she manages to pull off this insanity while keeping her elegance and coldness in check. Her performance, a pleasure to watch, is probably the best part of the whole piece. Unfortunately, the protagonist’s counterpart Frances, played by Chloe Moretz, fails as an innocent Boston girl living the New York City life in her 20s. Partly because we´re in 2019, and partly because of the script, which is quite weak at times in terms of delivering realistic – or at least believable – confrontations between the two characters.

The feature makes for a good time at the movies though, and the fast pace is largely responsible for this – as well as the storytelling. In case you haven’t been able to catch the trailer yet, the film kicks off with a lost bag in the New York underground. Frances happens to find the misplaced item and decides to return to its owner, Greta. From there, things start getting crazy, a bit twisted and decidedly personal. Maika Monroe, who plays Frances’s best friend, warns her at one point about how strange Greta´s behaviour is, eventually getting herself involved in the never-ending drama. Without spoiling anything from the plot, the picture concludes in a satisfactory way, allowing the audience to leave the cinema with a sense of closure and the impression of having watched a female-led version of Stalking Laura.

All in all, the cinematography and the score are very solid, with some Hitchcockian reminiscences. Classy in its execution but still modern in look, Greta is a fun ride and a must-watch for thriller nerds out there. Just try not to laugh too much at some of the more action-packed scenes.

Maria Barrios

Greta is released nationwide on 19^th April 2019.

Watch the trailer for Greta here: