We Have a Ghost
Christopher Landon is the creator of some wonderfully strange horror movies that escape the usual cynicism of today’s genre. He does not engage in any “elevated horror” nonsense but rather infects his films with an exuberance so infectious it should be illegal Regardless of how they were executed or their overall quality, I cannot imagine anyone having more fun making a movie than Landon did while making these. In which case, his latest film, “We Have a Ghost,” works best when he’s allowed to get stupid in a way that just makes you smile. Unfortunately, his writing isn’t as sharp as his directing; the movie goes on too long and through too many endings, content to repeat themes and images rather than build upon its own interesting ideas. It’s ultimately a fine distraction, which is all most people are looking for on Netflix anyway, but I hope he gets to make “Happy Death Day 3” before going back to this well.
Adapted from a short story called Ernest by Geoff Manaugh, “We Have a Ghost” begins with the Presley family moving into a fixer-upper in Chicago. Father Frank (Anthony Mackie) can’t catch a break between money and his increasingly distant relationship with son Kevin (Jahi Di’Allo Winston, so good in “Charm City Kings” and on “Everything Sucks!”). Almost immediately after they arrive, Kevin is exploring the attic when he comes across a trapped soul named Ernest (David Harbour). Ernest can’t talk but has been driving away inhabitants since he died there in the ‘70s. Kevin isn’t scared he films it on his phone and suddenly there’s a viral ghost.
I mean what would happen if there was actually a ghost all over TikTok and YouTube? People screaming outside your house, including a guy dressed like Jesus. It’s interesting to watch Frank try to use Ernest’s existence as a cash infusion become a cultural agent of sorts. He even brings in a local medium for an encounter with Ernest, a sequence that includes one of the movie’s more impressive effects and potential memes from a Jennifer Coolidge cameo. But not enough is done with the idea of what proof of the afterlife would mean, it doesn’t have to be Deeply Philosophical, but even just slightly shallow exploration might have filled this concept out some.
Instead, “We Have a Ghost” pivots too much attention to a paranormal scientist named Dr. Leslie Monroe (Tig Notaro) and her CIA boss Arnold Schipley (Steve Coulter). Landon’s film becomes something of chase road movie through its middle section as Ernest and Kevin try to escape armed guards while also trying to figure out why this poor guy can’t just move on already. Of course, “We Have a Ghost” is also something of whodunit as Ernest learns about what really happened to him who killed him.
In a performance that could have easily resorted to overacting due to the absence of lines, Harbour shines, and Winston still feels like a future movie star, he’s so confident and natural at such a young age. There’s enough between them here that you love watching them instead of checking your phone every two minutes, but it doesn’t have the oomph to make you put it down for good. It just never has any urgency in particular the final act which repeats ideas and then ends again and needs to hum like “Freaky” or “Happy Death Day,” which were much shorter (and tighter).
“We Have a Ghost” may sag in places, but it never fully sinks into the Netflix recent originals abyss. We don’t have a winner, but we do have something that will divert you decently well.
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