Greta

Greta is the new name in terror, a character so perversely evil and repugnant that audiences will think twice before befriending middle-aged women again.

When 20-something Frances (Chloe Grace Moretz) meets Greta (Isabelle Huppert), a seemingly innocent and lonely woman, a bond develops until Frances makes a discovery which doesn’t just shatter their friendship but threatens her very existence.

Momentum shifts very quickly in this creepy film which contains many gruesome scenes that will have audiences turning away in horror.

Insight is offered into the mind of a psychopathic stalker, initially portrayed as the perfect mother figure. Huppert plays the arch villain convincingly, her foreign accent further intensifying the unease that audiences will experience.

Some silly dialogue especially in the last scene and cliched moments which are typical of the horror genre degrades the film slightly, but ultimately it’s worth watching.

A universal social comment resonates quite clearly – can loneliness escalate into a serious mental illness?

Greta has done for mature women what Jaws did for beaches and has created a new monster that will deliver plenty of memorable jump-scare moments. (MMo)

★★★