Have you heard about Greg? (2021) Film Review

When films deal with existential approaches, it isn’t very easy to write about them.

After watching Have you heard about Greg? and thinking of every word spoken by those included in the final cut, I couldn’t help but think that it would be impossible to put together an observational piece. From an objective point of view, a critic should always stick to the material about the subject at hand, and not the story that’s being told.

But then, films like this are made for a reason. And there’s nothing more humane than that to highlight in this humble consideration of the film. Have you heard about Greg? is a beautiful homage to a human being whose spirituality is so strong and present, that it regards kindness and calm as the only available outcome for when the story ends. It isn’t heartbreaking but heartwarming. And it’s exactly the way a film about loss should be.

Greg O’Brien is an investigative reporter who has decided to open his heart to a dear friend. He has decided to be the subject of a documentary about a disease that’s eating him inside and yet he bargains with humility, humor and inevitability. Through Have you heard about Greg? we meet Greg’s family, friends, and experts in the field who are familiar with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. 

The film is an informative look into the reality of the disease and the harrowing effects it causes in society and the people who suffer from it. It’s an interesting comment on the healthcare system that should provide all the time, and it simply doesn’t. The film stays afloat in this observation but it’s exactly the kind of subject that should be sparked after films like this are released.
Then again, the film is an intimate journey into the life of Greg, a man who has decided to observe his diseases (he also has cancer) with a different lens. One that awakens the need for conversation about understanding and listening to those who need it the most. As someone in the film mentions it at some point, the typical commercial is part of the past. No longer there’s an old lady sitting in a nursing home waiting for something. Validation comes in various forms. Greg O’Brien is at the center of a design that’s beautiful as it is jarring. It’s also necessary as a socially relevant issue to speak about. 

Films like Have you heard about Greg? are wake-up calls. And not so much about prevention, but also about treatment and how to perform in a space that still regards mental health as taboo-ish, and only acts in the face of a good book that tells related stories and becomes a bestseller. Why do we need to wait for those?

In any case, Have you heard about Greg? is a very good opportunity to explore a subject that’s sadly too common. Out of Greg’s conversational attitude, you get hope, love and strength. Even when he declares himself to be losing a battle, you can’t help but accompany him in a mysterious journey that ends in the most important place for humankind: what comes after death? 

I can guarantee you, you will see things differently. And not too many works of love and passion have that result. Sure, there’s admiration for whoever makes such a hopeful film, but few of them make you change your mind about a disease that’s as normal as any other. To fight something, we need to understand it, and this is a beautiful film that can help everyone see some things that aren’t clear.

Federico Furzan

Film critic. Lover of all things horror. Member of the OFCS. RT Approved Critic.