One of the buzziest films at SXSW this week is a moving exploration of grief, nostalgia and the power of good music.
The Greatest Hits premiered at the Austin-based festival on March 14 and has been receiving excellent reviews for not only the intriguing new twist in the time-travel genre but also for the stellar soundtrack. The film uses songs from boygenius, Beach House, Lana Del Rey, Jamie XX and other hits for more than a few memorable needle drops.
That’s because music is the unofficial main character in the film. The real main character is Harriet (Lucy Boynton), a producer-turned-librarian who is making her way through hundreds of vinyl records, trying to find the right song that will save her former boyfriend (David Corenswet) from a tragic fate. As she makes her way through each song, a new potential love interest (Justin H. Min) comes along reminding her that getting stuck in the past is not a life worth living.
Critics are praising the film for its raw and realistic view of processing grief and the difficult process of moving forward. As Deadline reporter Valerie Complex puts it, the movie demonstrates that “healing requires not only confronting and releasing our past but also opening ourselves to new possibilities and connections.” This isn’t your average time-travel romance; it’s a real-life experience — with a magical and musical twist, of course — that resonates with anyone who has loved and lost.
The Greatest Hits premieres in select theaters April 5 and on Hulu April 12.
