Greta is a film centralized on an idea – until adopting a grandma takes a weird turn. The idea of having an adopted maternal figure is not radical, especially if you put yourself in our lead’s shoes. Having just lost her own mother, Frances (Chloë Grace Moretz) forms a connection with Greta (Isabelle Huppert), whose daughter is away studying in Paris. This friendship begins the way you would anticipate with a millennial and an adopted grandma: Greta teaches Frances how to cook and shares stories of her youth, and Frances teaches Greta how to use the camera on her phone. However, Greta (not unlike other grandmothers) begins to overstep into Frances’ life.
The film does not waste any time digging into the plot centering around a friendship / stalkership of Frances and Greta. In the opening credits, Frances finds a purse belonging to Greta and believes the right thing to do is return it. Frances’ roommate is quick to find something amiss about the plan to begin with, speaking what every viewer is thinking: “this is Manhattan. You find a bag, you call a bomb squad.” Frances ignores her roommate’s advice, the movie picks up, and never slows down.
The plot is full of suspense, but it is the music choices that push it to that next level. That feeling you get when you know something is going to go horribly wrong washes over you time and time again; the music rustles in, suggesting that if you are not one for any sort of horror, now might be a good time to shut your eyes.
Movie goer Greg was less impressed. As a self proclaimed “Forensic Files” expert, Greg shared, “this would never happen. There would need to be a lot more of that substance to decompose the body unless it was in a grave.” However, for the audience less trained on how to cover up a murder, Greta is the perfect amount of thriller and mystery. It also provides a cautionary tale on why you should never trust a stranger, no matter how impeccably they dress.
Movie times: click here
Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Run Time: 1 hour, 38 minutes
Director: Neil Jordan
Actors: Isabelle Huppert, Chloë Grace Moretz, Maika Monroe
Rating: Rated R
