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we have a ghost

Movie Reviews

‘We Have a Ghost’ review: Netflix comedy follows all the rules for better and worse

A promising set up.

We Have a Ghost has a promising set up. After moving into their new home, a family discovers that is is inhabited by a ghost named Ernest (David Harbour, Stranger Things). Instead of running away, Frank (Anthony Mackie) decides it would be best for his family if he uses social media to make some money off the situation. What seems like a good idea at first becomes a problem when the CIA become involved.

Harbour and Mackie are the big names, but it is youngest son Kevin (Jahi Winston, Charm City Kings) that is the focus of the story. He is the one who first discovers Ernest and forms a bond with the spirit. The first half hour or so of We Have a Ghost has a distinct Beetlejuice feel to it. There is the mopey high school student, the unlikely but quick forming friendship between ghost and said student, and the plan by one of the parents to monetize the haunted house. Frank even tries to make Ernest go away by saying Beetlejuice three times.

On the plus side, We Have a Ghost becomes more than a retread of Tim Burton’s classic. Instead, it follows a more predictable path and ends up becoming a typical family adventure movie. It checks off all the boxes for the genre and has some likeable characters, but somehow lacks the charm that is normally found. The film is one of those cases where it not so much about what was done wrong; it is just missing that same X factor that separates The Goonies from Free Willy.

This may be due to the fact that Ernest cannot speak. Every scene he is in is limited to facial expressions and ghostly antics. Surprisingly, he does not even talk in the flashback scenes he is a part of. While it works when Ernest attempts to speak at a park, it does not have the same effect during the finale. This may be because the inability to communicate is never a big part of We Have a Ghost.

The rest of the cast do a fine job with what they are given, though Mackie is underused – especially considering Frank’s character arc. Winston is great as the son who just wants to solve the mystery of what has happened to Ernest. Isabella Russo (Crashing) walks the fine line between energetic know it all and outright annoying successfully. Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus) also makes a fun appearance as a television medium.

There is one big missed opportunity in We Have a Ghost. The social media aspect is never fully explored, which is a shame since some of the best moments are when the film is skewering viral content. This includes silly Tik Tok challenges and the opposing takes people have. Yes, even ghosts have become politicized in today’s world. If only, more of the film was filled with the same wit.

We Have a Ghost releases globally on Netflix February 24

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