In films like 1995’s Casper and even 1988’s Beetlejuice, the connective tissue between them exists as such. A family moves into an old, cobweb-infested house, which they usually get at a bargain price. It’s only to find out that, well, someone died there. After a few scare attempts, usually, the alienated child tries to help the ghosts with whatever they can to get their unfinished business. This DNA is writer/director Christopher Landon’s playbook for We Have a Ghost. It’s best to think of this supernatural comedy as a stew of ingredients — you’ve got action, family drama, science fiction, a bit of romance, and heartbreak.
The problem lies in the presence of too many subjects; Food does not have a distinct taste. Based on Geoff Manaugh’s 2017 short story “Ernest,” We Have a Ghost has a lot going for it and a two-hour runtime to match — it often feels like, if certain things are cut, the film So will be better. The Presley family moves into a house in the Chicago suburbs where a realtor nervously and anxiously sells it to them. Kevin (Jahi Winston) is unhappy about this, and there is a lot of tension between him and his father, Frank (Anthony Mackie). There’s a brief scene where Kevin, a guitarist, argues with Frank about the guitar god status of Terry Kath vs. Jimi Hendrix (good tip for music lovers).
We Have a Ghost Movie Review & Summary
We are led to believe that this new opening is another push due to Frank’s other investments. As such, Kevin, his older brother Fulton (Niles Fitch), and his mother Melanie (Erika Ash) are beginning to feel the strain of it all. Wandering through the basement, Kevin meets a ghost named Ernest (David Harbour) – he’s wearing a bowling shirt, a bit bald, and greets him like you’d think a ghost would. Ernest’s “scary” voice joins Kevin’s laughter, and he records a video of the ordeal.
While Kevin doesn’t think he can relate to anyone, he at least tries to talk to Ernest – there’s just one problem. Ernest cannot speak at all. He doesn’t even remember how he got into the house or how he died. Thus, Kevin makes it a mission to find it. Once we have a demon setting up its main story, it has many twists and turns and how to reach its conclusion. Frank learns of the video and immediately uploads it to YouTube, becoming a phenomenon in the world of the Zack Braff/Ghost Adventures Extended Universe World.
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There are fun social media cutscenes related to “ghost rights” and “Ernest Challenges”. When a video hits three million views in six seconds, Frank immediately says, “Kiss my ass, PewDiePie” (get it, because it suits that world). This is another get-rich-quick scheme. Within it all, one of the best scenes surrounds the brief inclusion of Jennifer Coolidge, who plays a telemarketer-type medium. Her character is subjected to face-melting scares Ernest learns while watching Insidious with Kevin.
From then on, Ghost quickly takes a dime for car chase scenes and fugitive-type plots. Kevin enlists the help of his neighbor/potential love interest Joy (Isabella Russo) to find out what happened to Ernest. While they are doing this, Dr. Leslie Monroe (Tig Notaro) and CIA Deputy Director Shipley (Steve Coulter) are nipping at their heels as they prepare to reopen a CIA mission to study ghosts. Let’s look at Ernest as a reason.
If it sounds like ET, it almost is. Some concepts have been updated to relate to us; However, there are many covers that make this movie stand out. We Have A Ghost works best by examining its family dynamics and how those within it fight to make things work for them. The film has a wealth of talent to pull it off. Frank’s portrayal of Mackie seems brutal at first. However, the actor turns on the charm to show you that he is a father trying to make his sons proud. While David Harbour has little or no speaking part within Ghost, he conveys a lot through facial expressions and demeanor.
Winston is a sympathetic and strong character – with both the natural equanimity of his character and Russo’s joy at being misunderstood by his parents. Notaro adds flavor to his scenes. We’ve got a ghost that has all the qualities of a winner; In some cases, it is. All of this checks whether the emotional punches don’t land as cleanly as they should.
