The romance genre is rare in that even the most conventional films can land extremely well. Somewhat fittingly titled, The Greatest Hits feels like an amalgamation of all the familiar beats of the romance genre. Nevertheless, writer-director Ned Benson and his cast infuse the movie with so much charm and humanity that the result is something incredibly charming and very special.
In the film, Lucy Boynton plays a woman with a mysterious affliction: every time she hears a certain song, she is literally transported back in time to the last time she heard it with her late boyfriend. It’s a high-concept blend of sci-fi and romance, and while it goes through a lot of conventional motions, it’s consistently lovable.
The characters’ arcs play out in pretty much the exact way you would expect. The protagonist has to learn to love again after being hurt by tragedy, and she finds a handsome, charming stranger who opens her back up. The love of her life, who died in an accident, is pretty much perfect, with no flaws — physical or otherwise — to be found. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel.
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The Greatest Hits is conventional but charming
Still, like so many great romantic comedies, The Greatest Hits relies on the charm and chemistry of its stars to succeed, and the cast delivers. Lucy Boynton — who is no stranger to the genre, having starred in John Carney’s Sing Street — is in top form. Her chemistry with her dual love interests, David Corsenwet and Justin H. Min, really makes the movie tick. Each of them takes their character, rooted in romance conventions, and infuses them with a sense of authenticity.
Of course, as a film with music as such a central plot element, the soundtrack of The Greatest Hits is effectively a central character. Many of the needle drops are a bit on the nose, with lyrics that say the emotions the characters are feeling rather than conveying them in a more expressionistic manner. However, if you look at it as a jukebox musical of sorts (just one where the characters aren’t singing the songs), it’s effective.
Benson also does some interesting things with the sci-fi aspects of the movie. He’s not terribly interested in the mechanics of the “time travel,” giving audiences a brief rundown and not trying to explain it. Instead, he’s more interested in the meaning that music has for the characters and the power it carries to connect us to one another.
This is where the film thrives the most: as an ode to the beauty of music and how our memories are inextricably intertwined with the emotions we feel through our sense of sound. Some of the other themes — like grief and moving on — are a bit more by the book, but the music elements add such a deep sense of empathy and humanity that it still feels refreshing.
The subgenre of music-infused romances that has popped up is beginning to become a familiar formula, but Ned Benson’s The Greatest Hits is a charming use of these tropes. Thanks to a solid soundtrack, strong performances, and a script that’s simply touching, it’s hard not to be charmed over by this musical romance.
The Greatest Hits screened at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX.
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Rating: 8/10
