Ghostbusters: Afterlife Review – Something Strange in the Neighborhood
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” might be set in 2021, but it’s got a very 90s vibe and is made for fans who loved the older movies or the animated shows. I was introduced to the Ghostbusters’ universe through “Extreme Ghostbusters” on Cartoon Network as a kid and was an instant fan. So, I got goosebumps in a scene where one of the characters takes out The Ecto-1 (the special ghost-busting vehicle) for a ride, and water from a street fire hydrant gushes towards it, wiping out the dirt to reveal the iconic ghost sign.
Directed by Jason Reitman, who wrote the story with Gil Kenan and Ivan Reitman, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” follows single-mom Callie (Carrie Coon), who learns about her father’s death and moves with her two kids, teen son Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and 12-year-old Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), to his spooky house in a small dusty town. There, the kids learn that their grandfather was connected to the original Ghostbusters and was on a lone secret mission to keep sinister powers from taking over the world. It’s now up to the new kids to fight old demons.
Finn Wolfhard shot to fame with the Netflix series “Stranger Things”; fans of the show would recall his character dressing up as a Ghostbuster for Halloween. In “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”, he gets to suit up for real and chase monsters with his sister Phoebe. Mckenna Grace plays a slightly tweaked version of her character Paige Swanson from “Young Sheldon”—Phoebe is a little girl genius who wants to be a scientist and doesn’t know how to make friends. Logan Kim plays a funny-cute supporting character called Podcast, who loves ghost stories and befriends Phoebe in the new school. Paul Rudd is Mr. Grooberson, Phoebe’s teacher, who enlightens her about the legacy of the Ghostbusters.
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” rehashes old ghosts, so fans get to see newer/cuter/tinier versions of the marshmallow ghosts. While the cast is fun, the jokes aren’t very funny, and even the special effects feel outdated, but it gives the film a nostalgic touch that will work for older fans and likely fail to impress those who are new to the Ghostbusters’ franchise. For instance, I am sure older viewers would love it when the original cast turns up in the climax in their ghost-busting gear. This is a feel-good, casual, family-friendly horror movie that you can stream with friends/family on a movie night.
Watch “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” on Netflix.
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