'We Have a Ghost' Review: Netflix's family-friendly ghost movie is a perfect weekend watch
Spoilers ahead for 'We Have a Ghost'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Netflix's 'We Have a Ghost' is a family-friendly ghost movie, directed by Christopher Landon. In comparison, there are several movies that offer nerve-chilling experiences through ghost movies, including the previous films of Landon like 'Freaky' and 'Paranormal Activity' movies. However, rarely do we find a movie that mixes deeper human emotions and humor perfectly in an entertaining way, without overdoing it, and 'We Have a Ghost' has managed to accomplish that successfully.
Based on the short story by Geoff Manaugh named 'Ernest', 'We Have a Ghost' has wonderful cast members including, David Harbour as Ernest the ghost, Anthony Mackie as Frank, Jahi Di'Allo Winston as Kevin, Jennifer Coolidge as Judy Ramano, Isabella Russo as Joy, Niles Fitch as Fulton, Tig Notaro as Dr. Leslie Monroe and Steve Coulter as Agent Shipley. 'We Have a Ghost' is a movie that deals with the Presleys family moving into a haunted house. The family becomes an overnight sensation when the video of Ernest the Ghost goes viral.
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Ernest, The Family Friendly Ghost
The heart and soul of the movie are the performances of the lead cast, who makes the ordinary story, the most enjoyable one. After Kevin captures Ernest, the ghost on his phone, the entire family is put on the radar. While Kevin and his neighbor Joy try to help Ernest, Frank, and Fulton are keen on monetizing the ghost and they successfully do so. The key moments of this film include the following - The sequence that the cycle of a viral video, from going on as a shareable video from youtube to having a tic toker speaking the rights of the ghost is extremely relatable and adds humor to the scene. Jennifer Coolidge appears only for a brief scene as a cable TV show host, and without giving spoilers, let's just say, Coolidge just steals the scene. The bond between the golden trio of the movie, Ernest the ghost, Kevin, and joy, and their adventures throughout the movie is heartfelt and enjoyable.
The emotional quotient
Another major anchor of 'We Have a Ghost' is the grounded emotions that the characters share. On the one hand, we get to see the tension between Frank and Kevin. Kevin is lately distant from Frank due to his constant involvement in failed businesses and Frank treating Ernest the ghost-like character as some pet, whereas Kevin interacts with the ghost with Empath. Kevin sees Earnest being stuck in the house. Then the emotional speech that Frank makes to Kevin in the later part of the movie, expressing his failure shows us a bond growing stronger between the father and the son. On the other hand, without uttering a single word in the movie, David Harbour takes the cake. His bond with Kevin, his inability to remember his past, his goofing around the town, and the emotional reveal of his death are all conveyed in the most perfect way possible.
And the emotional climax of the movie sure would touch your heart. The irony of a television show ad 'The West Bay medium' while Kevin is watching a parapsychology video is a Laugh Out Loud moment. Though the backstory is predictable, the fast pacing of the movie trumps that feeling. The parallel storyline of the CIA wanting to capture the ghost and do anything with him and the crowd, including the press surrounding Frank's house with banners, plays well with the movie. However, Dr Leslie Monroe, helping Ernest to escape the prison after Leslie herself went on to lengths to capture the ghost is a cliché.
Overall, Netflix's 'We Have a Ghost' is a perfect family entertainer, with a loveable ghost that leaves you with no harm.
'We have a Ghost' is streaming exclusively on Netflix.