In this cinematic mixtape called The Greatest Hits, Harriet (Lucy Boynton) discovers the transportive power of music, as certain songs spin her back into the past with her ex-boyfriend (David Corenswet). This includes reliving the tragic accident that killed him. As Harriet desperately tries to use sonic time travel to save Max, her present life unfolds with a new romantic interest (Justin H. Min), offering the option to live in the present. As she gets closer to a resolution, Harriet grapples with whether a second chance is actually an opportunity to let go.
I was set for The Greatest Hits to be a swoony dram-com I couldn’t resist. Everything is there, inventive concept, engaging characters, and honest yet romantic dialogue. This movie has the ingredients that could have made it a romance fan-favorite.
The concept of music serving as a memory trigger and thus a time-travel mechanism is as innovative as it is relatable (see Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks), striking a chord with anyone who’s ever been transported back in time by a special song. The characters are equally compelling in their imperfections and the actors make them tangible. From Harriet who is caught between grief and what can be done versus what should be done; to her former boyfriend Max and her current love interest David—both of whom are classic romance heroes with all the tropes deployed well. The dialogue is endearing and grounded, adding an anchor that secures the film’s more dramatic moments.
Ned Benson‘s visuals pop onscreen. There’s a technicolor vibrancy during the days that flips to a hypnotic techno glow during the nights. His knack for striking imagery is most evident in the film’s time-travel sequences. As Harriet is rocked back in time, the lighting shifts into ethereal flares that underscore the surreal nature of those moments. At the same time, visual glitches mark her as an anachronism in her own past. Whether past or present Harriet is constantly out of place. These thoughtful visual cues, combined with Benson’s keenly written narrative, create a cinematic world that you’ll want to fall in love with because it’s emotionally attuned. And yet…
And yet for everything it does well, The Greatest Hits evokes an underlying sense of dissatisfaction that contradicts its themes of second chances, twice-in-a-lifetime love, and the power of letting go. I couldn’t get past it. Want to know why?
When we’re in the past, Max (Corenswet) refuses to listen to Harriet’s pleas or to divert course even slightly. Honestly, that makes sense in the understanding that Harriet cannot change his decisions, only her own. However, the device used to illustrate this makes him obstinate to the point of dismissive. We can be assured he wasn’t that way in life, but the way these scenes play out in the movie is similar to a partner who refuses to listen to you, as though your contributions or wants don’t matter. Once this happens twice, it taints what we’re SUPPOSED to believe was an enriching and loving relationship.
Likewise with David (Min). Although he’s going through a shattering trauma of his own, he was raised on music, and is also refusing to let go, he sees Harriet’s flashbacks as a “red flag.” Even when he watches her faint because of them. Whenever she brings up her struggle—something that a compassionate person would see as a coping mechanism—David treats her like something is wrong with her. He even tries to escape. We have to question, what makes it so hard to believe that someone gets lost in memories of a loved one whenever they hear certain songs? Of course, we know there’s more happening but for David human nature or the nature of compassion should make him open to the difficulties of grief. He should be able to recognize that she’s healing, even if it’s unconventional. That, for me, is another blow to the romance.
I won’t even mention the adoring and supportive queer Black friend who doesn’t get an internal or external life of his own until Harriet’s problems are on the way to resolution. So perhaps at the end. Oh well, I guess I will mention it. With writing this strong, Ned Benson could have given depth of character to Morris (Austin Crute) that doesn’t only revolve around Harriet’s life and what serves her story.
Finally, there’s a failure of logic in the denouement that left me disappointed. I don’t want to spoil it but I’ll say this: The flow of time is always linear for the time traveler. If it isn’t then how do they remember to change the past in the first place? This stumble turned what could have been an endearing “fated love” ending into a fizzle. When it comes to romance, we want the big ending or the emotional one, but never break your own rules.
Do you see what I mean?
RIOTUS 