We Have A Ghost – Review
126 Minutes Rated PG-13
Written and Directed by Christopher Landon (Based on the short story “Ernest” by Geoff Manaugh)
**NOTE: this post may be updated with audio once we actually have the chance to talk about it. Until then, you can read Mark’s review below. Remember, though, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**
Synopsis:
Finding a ghost named Ernest haunting their new home turns Kevin’s family into overnight social media sensations. But when Kevin and Ernest go rogue to investigate the mystery of Ernest’s past, they become a target of the CIA.
On it’s face, We Have A Ghost feels a bit silly, doesn’t it? I mean, Sheriff Hopper is dead, wearing a bowling shirt, and haunting a family whose father is always in search of the Thing that will put them (him) on easy street; what’s not to like?
Well, turns out, there’s isn’t, in fact, much not to like.
After a video the sensitive and creative Kevin takes of Ernest goes viral, his dad (Anthony Mackie) starts to exploit the public’s fascination with Ernest and quickly turns their haunted house into a complete enterprise, very suited to life in the social media age: more videos, visits from “mediums” (played awesomely by jennifer Coolidge) who may seem familiar to reality TV fans, t-shirts, etc.
It’s what dad has always a wanted.
But for Kevin, what starts as a simple quest to determine who Ernest is (besides the name on the bowling shirt, because he has no memory of anything and can’t talk), becomes, over the the 2-hour run-time, an examination of family, relationships, and even manages to take a rather dark and sinister turn you might not expect from a PG-13 “family” film.
Some of the social commentary and pop-culture references are actually pretty great, especially when Kevin’s mom, on learning that their house is haunted, pulls out the old “we are not going to do what every stupid white family does in horror movies; we’re leaving!” schtick.
It’s exactly what horror fans would expect to hear, and it lands exactly as it should.
And let’s not forget the intrusion of Evil Government Agency with their own agenda for Ernest.
All in all, We Have A Ghost is a fine, if slightly misleading, time, as the dark bit near the end may disturb some viewers hoping for a simple romp by David Harbour through Anthony Mackie’s house, with an blossoming teen love story thrown in for good measure.
The performances are solid, and the cast all appeared to be having a fun time doing the film (which is a pleasant change from some of the films I’ve watched recently…).
We Have A Ghost hits Netflix on February 24 and stars David Harbour, Jahi Winston, Tig Notaro, Erica Ash, Jennifer Coolidge, and Anthony Mackie.
And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.
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