‘We Have A Ghost’ Review – Haunting in TikTok Times
Most people run when they see a ghost in their attic, but some folks figure out how to make money off the monster in their house. Or at least that’s the strategy the Presleys’ adopt in the 2023 Netflix horror comedy ‘We Have A Ghost’.
Directed by Christopher Landon, ‘We Have A Ghost’ stars David Harbour as the friendly spirit, Ernest, who has been haunting a house for fifty years. When the Presley family moves into the property, teen Kevin (Jahi Winston) is the first to spot the specter. Instead of panicking, the boy decides to help the ghost cross over. However, Kevin’s dad Frank (Anthony Mackie) smells dollars and wants to turn Ernest into a viral social media sensation. ‘Monetize Monster’ is the keyword.
While critiquing the techno-horror series ‘Red Rose’, I lamented how horror fans are tired of seeing the same old retro films set before 2000s. However, ‘We Have A Ghost’ does a great job of updating the ‘haunted house’ genre and placing it in the era of social media ‘influencers’ and ridiculous TikTok trends. Christopher Langdon, who has co-written the script with Geoff Manaugh, comes up with an engagingly satirical sequence to showcase how Americans would react to an actual ghost in 2023. Their writing is backed up by a strong ensemble cast that keep the tempo up through the runtime.
Jennifer Coolidge and Tig Notaro have fun cameos in the film, while Coolidge plays a celebrity ‘medium’, Notaro is Dr. Leslie Monroe, who is extremely interested in supernatural beings. The special effects for Ernest were a little shoddy, but it seemed like a deliberate ploy to make it look sketchy – for comedic effect. Those who’ve seen and liked David Harbour as Hopper in ‘Stranger Things’ would immediately warm up to his ghost act as Ernest too. Since Ernest the ghost cannot speak, Kevin tries to uncover his origins with the help of sassy-smart neighbor Joy (Isabella Russo). An imposing man hanging out with teens to help solve a mystery? The role was practically made for Harbour.
While the runtime of 2 hours and 6 minutes is a little ambitious for a horror comedy, the film manages to be largely entertaining. The climax gets just a tad bit cliched, but is also surprisingly emotional, in a good way. Overall, ‘We Have A Ghost’ is fun and family friendly, so you can stream it on Netflix for a ‘famjam’ night.
It’s a 7 on 10 from me.
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