Will Greyhound be worth watching?

Tom Hanks’ scripted and starred World War II naval thriller Greyhound premiered on Apple TV+. The film rocketed past several release dates due to shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This eventually forced Sony to settle for a streaming release.

Tom Hanks both wrote and stars in Greyhound, an old-fashioned nail-biter about heroism. The film has been inspired by actual events, not unfamiliar territory for Hanks. Hanks adapted the screenplay from C.S. Forester’s 1955 novel, The Good Shepherd.

Director Aaron Schneider reduces war to a PG-friendly experience. Greyhound is a film without too much blood or violence, and without any sense of tragedy.

1. Quick review

Hanks plays Captain Ernest Krause, who is tasked with leading an international convoy of ships to Great Britain during World War II. Those ships are vulnerable to German U-boats in an area of the Atlantic called the “Black Pit.”

Krause’s job is to keep the fleet of ships out of Nazi hands. However, when they reach the Black Pit, they run into trouble. It is then up to him to fight off the enemy and get both the troops and supplies on board to Britain.

Rather than relying on thrills and scares, Greyhound is interested in the intricate work of fighting on the high seas.

2. Info

3. Is it worth watching?

The film clocks in at a scant 90 minutes. Perhaps much of the film’s character-driven energy got lost in the edit, and what remains is fleetingly thrilling.

GREYHOUND - Official Trailer (HD) | Apple TV+

Director Aaron Schneider’s impressive sea action is full of crashing waves and near-misses, but it also seems to be missing something. It lacks the soul or warmth Hanks so regularly brings to these kinds of films, making it puzzlingly inert.

With a 90-minute runtime, there is not a lot of room for characters to have growth or conflicts. Schneider sticks to the shallows of the spectacle of war to play it safe, rather than try to achieve any real dramatic depths.

There’s no heart-breaking catharsis, no right-side-of-treacly plot turns. For a film where the interactions are restricted to sharp orders and ‘aye, sir’s, Greyhound should not be known for its deep characters. 

The entire film is a repetitive cycle. Hanks gazes through windows, the crew echoes his instructions and a CGI battle ensues. The plot aboard the ship doesn’t blend with the CGI battle sequences seamlessly, taking away some of its intensity.

I. Plot

After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7^th, 1941, the U.S. Navy began assisting Britain in its conflict with Nazi Germany.

Three months later, Captain Krause (played by Tom Hanks) finally gets an opportunity to commandeer his own destroyer, the Greyhound. It will traverse the North Atlantic, running point on a convoy of 37 ships stocked with troops and supplies.

The journey includes a harrowing two-day stretch in the middle of the ocean. It’s called the Black Pit because it’s the perfect place for silent of German U-boats, to lie waiting for ships to torpedo.

What unfolds is a rather relentless survival drama. Krause is forced to lead by example and fend off the Nazi attack with only his instincts and courage to guide him.

A seemingly random flashback sequence reveals his girlfriend (played by Elisabeth Shue) rebuffed his marriage proposal. Stephen Graham and Rob Morgan play Charlie Cole and Cleveland respectively. Their minuscule roles do not allow their talents to truly shine through.

II. Music and Visuals

The music director of this film is Blake Neely. He is an American composer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor, and author. He is known for his works in Greyhound (2020), All American (2018) and You (2018).

So far, Neely has received three Emmy nominations. He has also won five Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) Awards (The Mentalist), four American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Awards (Brothers and Sisters), and a GoldSpirit Award (The Pacific). 

Songs in the soundtrack include It Came Up On A Clear Midnight and O Holy Night by Bill Cunliffe, and First Kill, Nightfall Dangers and I’ll Always Be Looking For You by Blake Neely.

The film’s several battle sequences are clearly and effectively staged. Although they are slathered with CGI, the technology is used well and to its favor. The film’s virtual drone shots of the action from far above is also very well taken.

4. Grade

5. Final thoughts

The film is painfully functional and more invested in historical accuracy and Navy terminology than cinematic drama. Far from original, the movie is a sturdy genre exercise that’s reduced to a mind-numbing 90 minutes, vaguely pleasing to the eye.

Perhaps the cruelest is the nonexistent character development. Elisabeth Shue appears for a few largely silent flashback sequences. Krause’s crew, played by strong actors like Stephen Graham, Rob Morgan and Karl Glusman, are not done justice.

Rare is a Hanks film that leaves you feeling absolutely nothing, if not irritated for wasting your time. Greyhound, in that sense, is an extremely rare film.