This article contains spoilers for “The Greatest Hits” (2024).

In a world overwhelmed by the casual dating culture and situationships, movies like “The Greatest Hits” prove to be all the more important and impactful. Using musical nostalgia as its medium, the romantic fantasy film begs us to confront our heartbreak and hope to heal, even if the message sometimes suffers from its simplicity.

The story revolves around Harriet Gibbons (Lucy Boynton), a young woman who lost who she believed to be the love of her life in a tragic car crash. From that moment, any time she listens to songs that remind her of him, she’s instantly transported to the moment they first listened to the song together. Harriet is stuck trying to figure out how to save her lost love when she meets David Park (Justin H. Min), who suddenly begins to steal her heart.

Though the film centers on a heterosexual romance, it is full of queer imagery and features, such as the fact that the filmmakers celebrate drag, feature queer artists like Phoebe Bridgers and dress their cast in colorful, gender-neutral outfits.

Writer and director Ned Benson created a world reflective of his own. Iconic LGBTQ+ influences like New York City discotheque Paradise Garage and African American artist DJ Harvey inspired dance, pop music and Benson himself when making this film. His film thus pays homage to this reality which is often overlooked.

Harriet’s best friend, Morris Martin (Austin Crute), breaks the unfortunate trend of LGBTQ+ characters only being portrayed as the “gay best friend,” stepping outside the stereotype to show his own unique perspective.

Classic films like “The Notebook” shape our cinematic understanding of romance, and while classic, they have fallen out of touch with the culture surrounding modern love. “The Greatest Hits” redefines love stories with the simple strategy of observing our ever-changing society — met with a combination of retro and customary tones that make you feel intrigued yet comfortable.

Harriet and the viewers confront our past and our human capacity to move on, which is as beautiful as it is tragic. The strengths of this film revolve around the accessibility of its subject matter and execution. As a younger viewer, the issues the movie tackled resonated strongly with me.

The shining moment of the film is when David takes Harriet to a silent “headphones” concert — a perfect example of how people can take their partner’s access needs into consideration and adjust in a way that allows both parties to have fun.

The main flaw of this film is a double-edged sword. Unfortunately, the film is quite simple and doesn’t take risks. You can see the unsurprising arc of the plot from the very beginning, dulling the experience and rendering the movie entirely forgettable to some. The success of this film hinges entirely on the viewer relating to the specific character’s situation.

I do confess the simplicity also makes the plot more approachable, as the movie is comforting and easy to follow. Unlike some movies that aim to reinvent the wheel, audiences watching “The Greatest Hits” can relax and take it for what it’s worth.