The Greatest Hits (film)
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| The Greatest Hits | |
|---|---|
 Release poster | |
| Directed by | Ned Benson |
| Written by | Ned Benson |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Chung-hoon Chung |
| Edited by | Saira Haider |
| Music by | Ryan Lott |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Searchlight Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Greatest Hits is a 2024 American romantic fantasy film written, produced and directed by Ned Benson, and starring Lucy Boynton, Justin H. Min, David Corenswet, and Austin Crute.
The Greatest Hits had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 14, 2024. It was released in select theaters by Searchlight Pictures on April 5, 2024, followed by a streaming release on Hulu on April 12, 2024. The film received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot[edit]
Harriet is mourning her boyfriend, Max, who died two years ago in a car crash. Her emotional recovery is complicated by an unusual ability: whenever she hears songs associated with Max she travels back in time to that moment. In the present, these episodes manifest as a seizure, and to keep herself from inadvertently traveling, Harriet wears noise canceling headphones when out in public. Harriet tries multiple times to save Max's life. During one of her trips, she asks Max if he would save her life if it meant they would never meet.
In her grief support group, Harriet meets David Park. David is grieving his recently deceased parents and trying to keep their antiques business afloat. Harriet invites him to a DJ session by her friend Morris, the only other one who knows about her time travel. When Harriet and David hit it off, Morris advises her to move beyond Max.
Harriet travels back to the moment she and Max first met: a concert where she impulsively followed him into the crowd after striking up a conversation. In the present she rebuffs David's questions about the headphones. They attend several functions together and grow closer, but when they try to make out, Harriet hears one of her triggering songs and breaks it off. She later comes clean to David about what is happening to her, but he believes her trips to be hallucinations.
David finally takes Harriet to his parents antique shop. She realizes that she's been there before, with Max. She uses one of the songs to travel back in time and leave a message there for David. He finds the message and realizes that Harriet can travel in time.
Harriet finally has confidence that she can change the past, but she also realizes he loves David and that if Max didn't die then they would never meet. The two of them discuss what to do, with David telling her that he would save his parents if he had the chance. Harriet travels back in time to the concert, and when Max invites her to follow him, she declines.
In the new present, Harriet is happy and no longer needs the headphones. At a coffee shop, Max walks past her, arm in arm with another woman, he and Harriet don't notice each other. Harriet and Morris attend a concert where David and his sister are also attending. Harriet and David catch each others eye.
Cast[edit]
- Lucy Boynton as Harriet Gibbons
- Justin H. Min as David Park, Harriet's new love interest
- David Corenswet as Max Enders, Harriet's deceased boyfriend
- Austin Crute as Morris Martin, Harriet's friend
- Retta as Dr. Evelyn Bartlett, Harriet's grief counselor
- Andie Ju as Edie Park, David's sister
- Nelly Furtado as herself
- Clementine Creevy as Samantha
Production[edit]
The Greatest Hits was written, produced and directed by Ned Benson. It was also produced by Groundswell Productions' Michael London and Shannon Gaulding, along with Stephanie Davis, Cassandra Kulukundis. In August 2022, Lucy Boynton was added to the cast.[1] That same month Justin H. Min was added to the cast.[2] In October 2022, Austin Crute was added to the cast.[3]
Principal photography took place on location in Los Angeles, California from late August to October 2022, particularly in the locations of: Downtown, Echo Park, Silver Lake, Chinatown, Boyle Heights, Highland Park, Venice Beach and Agua Dulce.[4][5]
Release[edit]
In August 2022, Searchlight Pictures acquired the rights to The Greatest Hits.[1] It had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 14, 2024.[6] It had a limited theatrical release on April 5, 2024 and a streaming release on Hulu in the United States on April 12, 2024.[7]
Reception[edit]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 50% of 76 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "The Greatest Hits is built around a genuinely interesting idea, but it's lost in a shallow treatment that's too often content to rely on sentimentality."[8] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 50 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[9]
Benjamin Lee gave the film two out of five stars in The Guardian, calling the film "[an] often insufferably cutesy romance."[10]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 10, 2022). "Searchlight Takes Ned Benson-Directed 'The Greatest Hits'; Lucy Boynton To Star After Dropping From Marianne Faithfull Film". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ Lambert, Harper (August 31, 2022). "The Umbrella Academy' Actor Justin H. Min to Star Opposite Lucy Boynton in Searchlight's 'The Greatest Hits'". TheWrap. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (October 25, 2022). "The Greatest Hits': Austin Crute Joins Lucy Boynton, Justin H. Min In Ned Benson-Directed Searchlight Romance". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ Gonzales, Erica (February 29, 2024). "See Lucy Boynton and Justin H. Min in The Greatest Hits, a Time-Traveling, Music-Filled Romance". Elle. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "The Greatest Hits Production Notes Final" (PDF). Searchlight Pictures Press. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 16, 2024. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 7, 2024). "SXSW 2024 Second Wave Includes Pics With Sydney Sweeney, Nicolas Cage, Camila Mendes & 'Monkey Man'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 29, 2024). "'The Greatest Hits': Searchlight SXSW Film Sets Spring Theatrical & Hulu Dates". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ "The Greatest Hits". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ "The Greatest Hits". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ Lee, Benjamin (April 10, 2024). "The Greatest Hits review – cutesy music romance plays a forgettable tune". The Guardian. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
