Film Review: Greta

Despite a good cast and a decent premise, Neil Jordan’s Greta frustrates with its host of implausibilities. Although the bombast is welcome, it is not enough to save the film.

When Frances finds a handbag left on the subway, she decides to return it to its owner. She returns the handbag to Greta, a lonely widow. The widow strikes up a friendship with the young girl, but all is not what it seems…

Greta is a psychological thriller in the vein of Single White Female. At first glance, writer-director Jordan and co-writer Ray Wright’s film has all the elements to make this type of thriller work. There is the naive, wide-eyed protagonist. There is of course the unnerving antagonist. There is the initial set up with the undercurrent of unease. 

Despite these aspects, the film falters early on. There are too many plot holes, asking the audience to suspend disbelief too much and too early. The early harassment phase is palatable enough, even generating tension at times. The film goes off the deep end completely in the second half, and doubles down rather than attempting a recovery. Jordan settles on a flamboyant take, which viewers need to be fully on board with. The camp theatrics are not quite convincing enough to forgive the impossibilities.

There is too much in the narrative that is implausible. The actions of the protagonist defy logic. Moreover, Greta works well as an antagonist in the psychological rather than physical sense. The final third is nonsensical, given the parity in strength between the two main characters. Two late scenes involving additional characters are particularly silly. 

The score is overwrought, coming in too early for its intensity. Visual effects are decent, as is the production design. Isabelle Huppert is simply too good for the material. She hams it up adequately, revelling in the ridiculousness rather than playing it straight. Meanwhile, Chloë Grace Moretz is more earnest than the film deserves. Maika Monroe is decent in a supporting role.

Greta is too exasperating to be enjoyable. Neil Jordan has a flair for the flamboyant, but does not manage to pull it off successfully here.

Film Review: The Guest

Adam Wingard’s The Guest is part 1980s nostalgia fest, part thriller, and part knowingly outlnadish. These elements combine for an entertaining watch.

The Peterson family are still mourning the death of their eldest son, who was killed in action, when a soldier turns up at their house claiming to be a former comrade of his. As David quickly endears himself to the family, his presence brings about some disturbing activity…

The Guest is, above all, an entertaining film. The film takes the mysterious stranger trope and plays it for both tension and laughs. Director Adam Wingard imbues his film with a wink of self-awareness to the audience. It is clear that The Guest does not take itself too seriously, allowing the audience to laugh at the more absurd moments.

The film reveals details about its protagonist little by little. It is clear from the beginning that there is more than meets the eye with David, but there is a sense of unpredictability which keeps viewers engaged. The ending of The Guest is a little silly, however with the tangent that the film takes, this is not entirely surprising.

The Guest has an unmistakably 1980s feel to it. There is something very retro to many elements of the film. There are shades of 80s slasher movies, particularly in the film’s climax. The soundtrack retains this theme, with the synth-heavy electro songs provided a fitting accompaniment to the visuals.

Dan Stevens takes a stark departure from the role he is known for with The Guest. This is a wise move, as Stevens shows his versatility as David. Maika Monroe is decent as Anna.

The Guest is an unusual mix of thriller and comedy, served with a large slice of 1980s nostalgia. The narrative does descend into absurdity, but this is part of what makes the film enjoyable.