When kind-hearted Frances McCullen (Chloe Grace Moretz) finds a handbag on the New York subway, she does not-from-New York thing and returns it to its owner. This happens to be Greta (Isabelle Huppert), a lonely French lady who likes to play the piano and talk about her dead husband. Cue the start of a gentle friendship between a widow and a young motherless woman, right? Except that's not remotely the film director Neil Jordan (The Crying Game) is making.
While at Greta’s apartment, Frances soon stumbles upon a cupboard full of handbags just like the one she found on the train. When she starts to distance herself from her new friend on the advice of her flatmate (Maika Monroe of ‘It Follows’), Greta unleashes her inner stalker.
The game of cat and out-of-her-depth mouse that ensues is guiltily compelling, with Huppert giving a masterclass in crazy. She takes all the neuroses of her troubled characters in ‘The Piano Teacher’ and ‘Elle’ and amps them up a notch.
Jordan sets a tone that mostly tiptoes a very fine line between unsettling and silly, with the influence of ‘Psycho’ particularly clear. If you’re willing to put your incredulity on hold, this funny/ scary psychological thriller is an entertaining showcase for Huppert’s talents, with scream queen Monroe on hand to redress the balance between cat and mouse.