Greta (2018) - Same old story, but with some nice moments

'Greta' is probably best described as a psychological thriller that follows a young woman called Frances (Chloë Grace Moretz) who gets 'lured' into a friendship with the titular 'Greta' (Isabelle Huppert), who is a lonely, manipulative widow. 

You can guess things don't end up going too well, but I'll give the film props for its ability to deliver tension and suspense with its moody atmosphere and eerie build-up, although the movie's greatest strength probably lies in its two leads.  The two performances are nicely the polar opposite of each other.

Personally, perhaps the thing I liked best about it was that the characters make - for the most part - logical decisions, rather than falling into the typical (mainly horror) trope of being dumb, just to move the plot forward.

However, despite these strengths, 'Greta' feels like a familiar story. The “stalker-thriller” plotline has been done many times before, and this film doesn’t offer much innovation to set it apart, besides the performances and few nicely creepy moments.  It follows a well-worn path, and while the direction and performances elevate it slightly, it never quite shakes off the sense of déjà vu.  In the end, 'Greta' is a solid thriller, but not an essential one. 

6/10