Have you ever wondered what would happen if you could use niche vinyls to time travel? Okay, you probably haven’t, but on the off chance that you have, The Greatest Hits is the movie for you. Directed by Ned Benson, who most recently helmed The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, this film follows Harriet (Lucy Boynton), a young music enthusiast who discovers that certain songs can transport her back to a time before the sudden death of her beloved boyfriend Max (David Corenswet). In an attempt to bring Max back to life, Harriet embarks on a quest to find a song that will take her back to the moments leading up to his fatal car crash. Things get a little complicated, however, when she meets a brooding young man named David (Justin H. Min) in her grief counseling group, and he strikes a chord in her heart right away. Will Harriet stick to her guns and continue to try to save Max’s life? Or will David teach her to embrace the present?
The Greatest Hits boasts a compelling and original high-concept plot, but, as can be the case with high concept plots, this leads to much of the film’s first act being occupied by exhausting exposition. Even more unfortunate is the fact that a good portion of the exposition in question is shouldered by Harriet’s best friend, Morris (Austin Crute), who has already been cursed with playing the quirky best friend caricature that you’ve seen in at least a thousand movies before this one. Boynton’s character is slightly more palatable, although she isn’t given much to do other than brood over her ex. (Side note: she also wears headphones everywhere she goes to avoid being triggered by a song in the wild, yet she still somehow hears everything anyone around her says. Hmmm.) In all seriousness, though—after powerhouse performances in films like Sing Street and Bohemian Rhapsody, Boynton’s recent career has been something of a letdown. Someone cast her in another complex role, damnit!
Still, if you can find it in your heart to forgive The Greatest Hits‘ one-dimensional characters—and the fact that the film takes place in some bizarre alternate reality where everyone still listens to records—you’ll find yourself enjoying a heartwarming and, at times, gripping love story. And while it can come across as heavy-handed, the film does have some interesting insights into the power that music has to connect us.