This dark thriller, co-written and directed by Neil Jordan (The Crying Game) stars veteran actress Isabelle Huppert as Greta, and Chloe Grace Moretz as Frances.
While riding the subway to her job as a waitress in a fancy New York restaurant, Frances finds a purse on one of the seats. Inside, among other things, there’s some medication and a license. Although her roommate Erika (Maika Monroe) tries to persuade her to keep the bag, she goes to the little brick home of Greta to return it to her.
Greta is a retired music teacher who lives alone. She has pictures scattered around her living room of her husband who has passed away and a daughter who is studying in Europe. She clearly misses her family and is lonely.
Frances, who recently lost her mom, is also looking for a little motherly attention. So the two meet a few times for tea or a home-cooked meal. They would talk and Greta would play the piano. They even went to pick out a rescue dog for Greta. But, soon their relationship takes a dark turn when Chloe discovers something about her new-found friend and severs ties.
Almost immediately Greta turns into a scary stalker. Endless phone calls, pictures sent to Frances’ phone and showing up at her workplace to make a scene. But, her out-of-control behavior is just a clue of what is to follow.
This may not be the most scary or best written thriller, but one thing is for sure – Huppert is always interesting. Her character is one large contradiction. She’s lady-like and well-mannered, until she’s knocking someone over the head with a gleam in her eye. She dances around the room as she goes after her prey with a vengeance. It seems like the actress is having one heck of a good time.