Greta (2018)

A young woman befriends a lonely widow who's harboring a dark and deadly agenda toward her.

Director:

Neil Jordan

Writers:

Ray Wright (story by), Ray Wright (screenplay by)

Stars:

Isabelle Huppert, Chloë Grace Moretz, Maika Monroe

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Isabelle Huppert	...	Greta Hideg
Chloë Grace Moretz	...	Frances McCullen
Maika Monroe	...	Erica Penn
Jane Perry	...	Animal Shelter Worker
Jeff Hiller	...	Maitre D' Henri
Parker Sawyers	...	Park Hill Manager
Brandon Lee Sears	...	Flower Delivery Man
Arthur Lee	...	Korean Couple
Rosa Escoda	...	Korean Couple
Jessica Preddy	...	Park Hill Bartender
Thaddeus Daniels	...	Officer Deroy
Raven Dauda	...	Officer Regan
Colm Feore	...	Chris McCullen
Zawe Ashton	...	Alexa Hammond
Nagisa Morimoto	...	Park Hill Waitress

Storyline

Frances (Chloë Grace Moretz), a sweet, naïve young woman trying to make it on her own in New York City, doesn't think twice about returning the handbag she finds on the subway to its rightful owner. That owner Greta (Isabelle Huppert), an eccentric French piano teacher with a love for classical music and an aching loneliness. Having recently lost her mother, Frances quickly grows closer to widowed Greta. The two become fast friends - but Greta's maternal charm begin to dissolve and grow increasingly disturbing as Frances discovers that nothing in Greta's life is what it seems in this suspense thriller directed by Academy Award winner Neil Jordan.

---

Plot Keywords:

kidnapping | tied to a bed | female protagonist | psychopath | stalker | 

---

Taglines:

Everyone Needs a Friend

---

Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence and disturbing images

Did You Know?

Trivia

The distribution rights for the film were bought at the Toronto International Film Festival by Focus Features for $6 million.

---

Goofs

When Frances is bombarded with dozens of calls and texts, she does nothing about it, even though she wants them to stop. Most people use cellphones and almost all people who do know that 1 switch allows you to block calls from a particular number; however, neither Frances or her roommate do this.

---

Quotes

Greta Hideg: Just try to get rid of me. Just try to get rid of Greta!

---

Connections

Featured in Tamara Just Saw: Greta (2019)

---

Soundtracks

The Four Seasons, Concerto in F Minor, Op. 8, No. 4
Written by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by Béla Bánfalvi
Courtesy of Naxos of America

User Reviews

Traditional stalker fare upheld by the commitment of its performers

"Greta" follows naive, goodhearted Frances (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young woman who has moved to New York City to live with her friend Erica (Maika Monroe). On the subway one day, she finds a bag whose contents indicate it belongs to Greta Hideg, a French woman who lives in Brooklyn. Frances takes a liking to Greta, but soon finds their mother-daughter-esque relationship to be much more than she bargained for.

In many ways, "Greta" strikes as a 21st-century return to the stalker fare of the 1990s, ala "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" or "Single White Female," and for that reason alone it is an adequately fun, all-around entertaining thrill ride. This subgenre of films, although not necessarily known for its grips on reality, has always been a source of great amusement. This is perhaps the most singular thing about "Greta" that audiences need heed before going into it, because it will divide its audience; those who enjoy these films for what they are will get a kick out of it, while those expecting something more innovative will be disappointed.

As someone who finds stalker films of this calibre to be typically enjoyable, I took "Greta" on its own terms and found it a consistent, well-acted popcorn movie. It's implausible in more ways than it's not, its millennial characters live lives that make little sense (how many twenty-somethings live in a chic, 1,000+ square-foot loft in Tribeca?), and the threat of the film's titular Greta relies largely on tropes well-worn. So, why does the film work? Largely, or perhaps entirely, because of the commitment of its performers to the material. Chloë Moretz is believable as the well-meaning Frances, and Isabelle Huppert is unrelenting as the villain. Both actresses throw themselves at the material with so much earnestness that it's difficult not to buy it, no matter how implausible, silly, or frivolous the circumstances. Maika Monroe provides enjoyable comic relief as Moretz's out-of-touch friend, while Stephen Rea makes a minor appearance as a private investigator who arrives in a rather stilted manner near the climax.

Taken on its own terms, "Greta" is a hoot; it's a throwback done well, and is one of the better popcorn thrillers I've seen in the last decade. This doesn't mean it's innovative or particularly intriguing, but it is engrossing in a way that is familiar, and it's fun enough to draw most audiences in. The material itself is well-worn at this point and the audience more or less knows the routine, but Moretz and Huppert's performances are the keys that turn the machine like clockwork. 7/10.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Site

Country:

Ireland USA

Language:

English Hungarian French Korean

Release Date:

1 March 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

Greta

Filming Locations:

Dublin, Ireland

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,481,910, 3 March 2019

Gross USA:

$10,532,219

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$18,653,107

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Lawrence Bender Productions, Little Wave Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1