Summary: A young woman befriends a lonely widow who’s harboring a dark and deadly agenda towards her.
This will be a short review.
Pros:
Acting talent. Isabelle Huppert is fantastic in this. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in anything even though I really wanted to see Elle. But she was sooo good. There was a scene in the restaurant that was my favorite scene and she does it so well. I also really like Chloe Grace Moretz and I think she does a good job in the film as well. She has good chemistry with Isabelle Huppert and that’s the crux of the film and when things get crazy, she really acts the way I would think someone in shoes would act.
Interesting Story. I think the idea is interesting of this woman who is lonely and preys on young girls who might also be lonely. It’s a different take on the stalker story (with the usual beats) and I liked how they set up the story. I liked that we got to see Francis and Greta have this relationship before things got crazy.
Scary moments. This movie isn’t scary, it’s a thriller but it’s not scary. There is a lot of tension in scenes which works because of the nature of the story. Whenever someone goes into Greta’s house once the other shoe drops it’s scary because you don’t know what’s going to happen to the person. The entire second half was scary because of what’s going on not because it’s scary.
The Restaurant Scene. I think that was the best part of the movie. Francis works in a restaurant and Greta shows up and Francis ends up having to wait on her. Greta is being all extra about her wine and then she freaks out at Francis. Now, I had NO idea what she was saying for the most part lol, but I loved the tension in that scene and I think it’s probably one of the best scenes in the movie.
Cons:
Extremely Cheesy. Soooooo cheesy and in ways over the top that might take a viewer out of the film. I think the first half is much stronger than the second half because the first half is setting things up, getting the tone of the movie down and when the second half happens once Greta gets what she wants, it just feels absurd. The dialogue also might make you want to chuckle a bit because I know I did lol.
Random Moments. I say this because there are some moments that are just random and made me go “why is that in the film?” For example, someone that Francis works with makes a comment about her stalker situation and it was extremely insensitive. It wasn’t like the girl didn’t know the situation and said something because she knew and I’m like… what was the point of you saying that? She already feels like crap and I wonder why that was included. Then there was this whole thing with a detective and I’m sorry, that was just plain stupid. People are kind of stupid in this movie too lol. THEN Francis and her best friend Erica, have this argument earlier on and it comes out of nowhere. I was confused, and I think I laughed a little.
Weak Second Half. As I mentioned before, I think the first part of the movie was good and strong, but the second half is where things not only go full speed but go a little crazy. Once Greta gets what she wants, she really starts to put on the ham and cheese and Isabelle Huppert was clearly having fun doing it. But people are extra stupid in the second half and even when they think they’re gaining the upper hand they’re stupid and I rolled my eyes on several occasions.
Overall, I very much enjoyed Greta. I think it’s a fun movie. I think the acting from the main two actresses is very good, especially Isabelle Huppert who is clearly having fun in her role. I think the first half is very strong and the relationship created between Greta and Francis was handled well just for it to PULLED OUT FROM UNDER US lol. I liked the story and I think while it has the same beats as other stalker stories, it takes it in a little different direction. The restaurant scene is also a great scene because it’s full of tension and the acting there is great. Now, on the other hand, it is very cheesy, and the dialogue is silly at times where you might laugh. There are some random moments that don’t add anything or don’t add much to the film and the second half is weak compared to the first. It falls into silliness instead of maintaining that thriller vibe it was aiming for in the first half. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Greta.
Rating: 3.79 out of 5 stars.
Have you seen Greta? It’s worth the watch and you should give it a shot, especially if you enjoy thrillers. Let me know your thoughts down below if you have seen it.
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