Year of Release: 2023
Director: Christopher Landon
Starring: David Harbour, Jahi Winston, Anthony Mackie, Erica Ash, Niles Fitch, Isabella Russo, Tig Notaro, Tom Bower, Steve Coulter, Jennifer Coolidge, Faith Ford, Sean Boyd, Scott A. Martin, Sherri Eakin, Kyler Porche
Genre: Comedy, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Netflix
Synopsis and Review
Director Christopher Landon is back, following the well received "Freaky". This time around he has adapted the short story "Ernest" from Geoff Manaugh, and has built a ghost comedy type of narrative, with sprinkles of R.L. Stine thrown in for good measure. The narrative follows the adventures of the Presley family, who move to Chicago and buy a fixer-upper in the hopes of having a fresh start for the somewhat fractured family life they have had thus far. While the older son Fulton is up for the challenge, the younger and shier one, Kevin, has a lot more resistance to this new dalliance of his father. While exploring the house and in particular the attic, Kevin comes across a ghost. The ghost doesn't manage to scare him off, but they actually become friends. Kevin starts naming the ghost Ernest, since that's the name on his shirt. Since the ghost doesn't talk, Kevin wants to understand what's keeping him attached to that house in particular. However, Ernest's presence is captured on video by his dad, who uploads that clip to youtube. This soon spirals out of control, in terms of popularity, but also in terms of other figures who want to seize and capture Ernest for research, and other unsavory goals. Kevin and his newfound friend and neighbor Joy, decide to take Ernest and track his origins, in the hopes of understanding why he can't move on.
"We Have a Ghost" comes across as a juvenile adventure film, but also sprinkles some dramatic elements in the relationship of the younger son with his father, and how their relationship has been rife with issues. It's a film that doesn't spend much time defining the lead characters, quickly shifting in the direction of the supernatural, which comes across as a catalyst to bring the family together, even if at first Ernest and his existence seems to take them all down a dangerous journey of selfishness. The narrative itself doesn't hold much novelty in the way the characters and relationships are illustrated. Same thing going for whatever comedic elements that occur, that are few and not that effective. The film's tone is definitely not as comedic/sarcastic in the same vein as Ivan Reitman or even Jason Reitman's "Ghostbusters" films were. It's more of bittersweet tale for family members who want to reconnect, namely Kevin and his father, and "Ernest" and his daughter. The production values are somewhat underwhelming, but the cast does manage to keep things watchable, with Jennifer Coolidge and Tig Notaro making noteworthy appearances, while David Harbour manages to convey this whole aspect of a gentle giant, much like he has done in "Stranger Things". It's a harmless and forgettable endeavor, featuring a diverse cast, but there isn't much else to highlight here.
0 comments:
Post a Comment