THE PREMISE:

"A love story centering on the connection between music and memory and how they transport us, sometimes literally." 

OUR MOVIE REVIEW:

The Greatest Hits is a film about being isolated in your grief, given the ability to go back to spots in your relationship and relive the moments. Cursed more than blessed, Harriet is forced to go back in time whenever she hears a piece of music associated with her deceased boyfriend. 

Unable to stop a horrible accident that causes her love to parish, Harriet played by Lucy Boynton (Sing Street) must search for a key piece of music to prevent it from taking place. Led by this astonishingly original take on a time travel story, The Greatest Hits is able to bring a deeply emotional story and encompass it with some classics we don’t often hear in film. 

Boynton is nothing less than riveting in her emotional turmoil as she sorts through the records of her life in search of healing. Around the sorrow of the circumstances is a lovely romance that's struggling to blossom fully. Her chemistry and relationship with Justin Min’s kindhearted human, in which they meet in grief counseling, is wonderfully expressive and addictive to watch. This notion makes their relationship all the more saddening when you realize Harriet is trapped in the past, not able to move forward. Her boyfriend of the past, played by the newly elected Superman himself, David Corenswet is given selective moments as displayed by the music at random. These moments with him make him come off as pompous and arrogant, yet charming in his glances at her. We’re not getting the entire picture here and that’s on purpose as we’re only witnessing fragments of their life together before the accident took place. 

Along for the ride is Harriet’s friend to the end Morris, played by Austin Crute (Booksmart). Their immediate connection with her and developed chemistry is why you can understand Harriet's seeming psychotic behavior when areas around her aren’t marked as “safe” from possible music cues. Morris and Harriet share an emotionally wrecking moment together, which makes their immersive dynamic all the stronger. 

Ned Benson is a filmmaker I’m not overly familiar with and The Greatest Hits is a welcome intro to the knowledge of his filmography. The film not only opens up our ears, but our eyes to the necessary yet uncomfortable conquering of grief. Bringing with it notes of one of the greatest time travel movies of the modern age, About Time, with its soulful story with a heartwarming and hopeful finish.