If you aspire for a touch of nostalgia in a romantic comedy echoing the style of films from the '90s and the early aughts, "The Greatest Hits" offers all too familiar tropes. From the widowed main character and her charismatic lost love, to her bold and honest best friend and potential new love interest, this movie checks all the classic romantic comedy boxes. But therein lies the issue, the audience becomes too conscious of these predictable elements, and despite the excellent performances, the characterizations struggle to escape their stereotypical roles.
In terms of filmmaking, writer-director Ned Benson does not shy away from an audacious approach. His previous work, "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby," presented a relationship from two perspectives, demonstrating Benson's potential for innovative storytelling. "The Greatest Hits" incorporates an element of time travel for the main character, Harriet (Lucy Boynton), who slips into her past whenever a song from her time with her late boyfriend, Max, is played. One of Benson's key successes was maintaining an element of suspense as to whether Harriet's condition could be scientifically explained or was a manifestation of her profound grieving.
Where the film falls short is that by the time it fully explores its concept, the narrative is already reaching its conclusion. Despite eye-catching cinematography and impressive costume and production design, the movie seems unable to fully commit to a sci-fi romance storyline.
The film portrays Harriet’s struggle with her grief through her best friend Morris’ advice to move beyond her grief. The film finds itself caught between realistic drama and easy-to-understand metaphors like many sci-fi and horror genres.
Lucy Boynton’s performance as Harriet stands out, skillfully navigating her character through her grief journey by avoiding triggers that would send her into a grieving state. Harriet's character portrayal, however, is mostly defined by her loss and coping mechanisms. Her past relationship is only explored at a shallow depth, making him appear more as a concept than a fully fleshed-out character.
Supporting actor, Justin H. Min, adds charm and life to the film with his radiant character portrayal. Displaying a balance of self-assured yet likeable traits, his character is seen as genuinely caring and a much-needed positive presence, thereby contributing substantially to the film's appeal.
"The Greatest Hits," which premiered at the South by Southwest 2024, will be available on Hulu starting April 12th.
