Netflix has just added a tense psychological thriller movie

Stephen Porzio

This darkly entertaining gem was made by an Irish director.

Netflix has just added Greta, the tense 2018 psychological thriller movie from Irish co-writer and director Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Michael Collins), to its service.

The film stars Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass) as Frances, a young woman living in New York with her friend and roommate (Maika Monroe, Longlegs) who discovers a handbag left on the subway.

She promptly returns it to its owner: an eccentric French piano teacher named Greta (Oscar-nominee Isabelle Huppert, Elle).

“Having recently lost her mother, young Frances strikes up a seemingly harmless friendship with the lonely and kindly widow who enjoys her company,” the plot synopsis reads.

“But when Greta’s behaviour becomes increasingly erratic and obsessive, Frances does whatever it takes to end the toxic relationship before things spirals out of control.”

Partially shot in Dublin and also featuring amongst its cast Stephen Rea, the movie was recently shouted out by JOE in our inaugural Film Club Classics column when discussing the similar stranger danger thriller The Guest.

And we’d say Greta is must-watch for fans of that film – as well as ’90s classics like Fatal Attraction, The Hand that Rocks the Cradle and Single White Female – thanks to Jordan’s stylish direction and Huppert’s tremendous villainous turn.

Regarding the latter, the legendary French actress manages to make the title character somehow funny, terrifying and human all at once.

Greta earned for the most part solid reviews upon release, of which you can read a sample right here:

The Atlantic: “Greta is more of a Terminator movie, with everyone doing their best to get out of Huppert’s way for 98 enjoyable minutes… worth a recommendation in my book.”

Daily Telegraph (UK): “Huppert loves to dance on the lacquered surface of civility and then plunge a spiked heel right through it, and for as long as the film is happily indulging her whims, it’s a trashily good time.”

The Guardian: “Huppert should be the next Bond villain.”

London Evening Standard: “The pace seldom lags, the cinematography is luscious, and a dream sequence has a clever twist.”

Slant Magazine: “Neil Jordan’s deft control of pace and tone elevates Greta past mere gimmickry, resulting in a comic thriller whose goofy humour only compounds its mastery of suspense.”

Greta is streaming on Netflix in Ireland and the UK now.

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