Greyhound
apple tv+ / sonyIf one was to close their eyes whilst watching Greyhound, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a film that ought to be played on the big screen. As the titular ship crashes through the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, dodging torpedoes and U-boats in the process, this has all the hallmarks of a prestige picture. Alas, the current climate means this naval thriller, starring and written by Tom Hanks, finds its home on Apple TV+ following the acquisition from Sony Pictures, becoming the first major release by the service.
Hanks plays Ernest Krause, the captain of the USS Keeling, which is tasked with navigating treacherous waters in the midst of the second World War. Krause and his extensive crew find themselves in a battle with a pack of German U-boats, seeking to buy time as they await aerial support. With the general setup, and the supporting promotional material, Greyhound could have easily been a sweeping, jingoistic war film, but director Aaron Schneider has seemingly channelled his independent roots from 2009’s Get Low and concocted a streamlined, 91-minute action-thriller. Though it may not have the budget and scope of either Dunkirk or 1917, it does share thematic ground in attempting to portray the realism of battle by focusing on a specific time and place.
This approach works exceptionally well in the opening section, in which Krause and his crew engage in a cat-and-mouse chase with an elusive submarine, creating an immersive experience whereby the viewer is required to work things out in real time. Thanks to the superb sound design and musical score, tension is escalated incredibly well through cross-cutting between characters and radar screens. Even though no attempts are made to unravel the naval jargon, the focus on the mission at hand means this passage is crisp and precise.
Unfortunately, no progression is made from this point, with the film quickly becoming a collection of repetitive action scenes and the smallest amount of character development. Despite the strong opening, there’s only so many times one can watch torpedo battles and machine gun fire before it grows tiresome, a problem exacerbated by the lacklustre visuals. The effects for the ocean never quite convince, whilst the grey colour scheme gives the film a flat look, failing to provide vibrancy in what is a relentless experience.
Furthermore, the lack of interesting characters poses a huge problem, meaning the film has neither an accessible entry point or a reason to invest in anything that happens on screen. Stephen Graham is given virtually nothing to do as the second-in-command, whilst Krause’s only notable traits are his religious beliefs and an undercooked story involving a left-behind love (Elisabeth Shue). These scenes, which bookend the film, feel like they’ve been added in post-production, but the sheer lack of material regarding the character renders these scenes as superfluous. The film would’ve been far better in punctuating the lulls in battle with flashbacks of Krause’s prior life, which would not only give the character more depth but also break the monotony of the action.
Whilst this recent trend of portraying wars in a more realistic way is admirable, there has to be a way of achieving this goal without removing the vessels. War films, in particular, need characters to serve as gateways – otherwise the viewer might as well watch footage of real battles, for the side-effect of this style renders one completely passive in the viewing experience. For Greyhound, the lack of style in tandem with its script and character issues means it never progresses past the promising opening; though it’s far from capsising, the lacklustre execution and residency on a notoriously exclusive streaming service might ensure it drifts into obscurity.