The Greatest Hits Premieres on Netflix 

Brianna Tillie

Grief is universally understood to be one of the most difficult emotions to experience. Having to mourn the loss of something that was deeply cherished and cared for, struggling to take things one day at a time until finally reaching a day where things hurt less, feeling envious of others who do not understand the pain you are in as they live their seemingly perfect and happy lives, it is all apart of the messy, painful, character-building process of grief. 

“The Greatest Hits” was released on April 5 and it explores the concept of grief in the form of a romance film that has tugged on the heartstrings of many viewers.

The film features a young woman named Harriet who has come up on the two year anniversary of her boyfriend’s death. Harriet and her boyfriend, Max, were in a car accident where Max was tragically killed and Harriet was in a coma. After waking from the coma, Harriet realized she could travel back in time through listening to music that she first heard in moments her and Max shared together. 

Much of the film displays Harriet attempting to find the right song that will allow her to travel in time and save Max from the car accident. This caused her to have spell-like episodes as she continued to time travel and remained unsuccessful in her attempts. The episodes of time travel appear to be beyond her control as they occur even when she may hear a song on the radio that she first heard when Max was alive. To avoid this, she wears headphones at all times. 

The film excelled in several areas. The portrayal of Harriet’s grief is very realistic. Hearing a song that reminds a person of a sad or nostalgic event is an experience that many individuals can relate to. It is not surprising that she would feel deeply emotional hearing music that reminded her of the love of her life who died suddenly. Someone who may be experiencing something similar is likely to feel comforted seeing their emotions on such vivid display.

It is also commendable that the film shows Harriet still experiencing these spells two years after Max’s death. It may comfort those grieving by reminding them that there is not necessarily a time limit on how long the grieving process is supposed to take. 

Without taking away the praise this film deserves for such an outstanding portrayal of grief, the less-than-stellar parts of the film are worth mentioning. The film’s ending was quite unsatisfying. Harriet decides that the only way to save Max through time travel is to go back in time and never be with him in the first place. This took away so much of the character development Harriet had made as she was navigating grief. 

The idea that she can go back and erase her relationship with Max is an option that the audience will never have for their lost loved ones. They will never be able to relate. Perhaps this film was supposed to be more of a fantasy than a psychological deep-dive, however the movie’s mood was far too heavy for such a fantasy-like ending. 

It would have been a far better option for Harriet to find some way to stop living in the past where Max was alive and accept the reality in which he is gone in a positive way by honoring his memory. The problem is, that the relationship between Harriet and Max was underdeveloped and the scenes of love they shared were not meaningful enough to show the audience why they should care so much about the honoring of Max’s memory. Perhaps a sequel to this movie would be beneficial to add depth.