Director Jason Reitman called Ghostbusters: Afterlife his most personal film yet. That makes sense; he was seven when dad Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters was released in theaters and twelve when the sequel arrived. Ghostbusters no doubt made up a significant part of Reitman’s childhood and his family’s life. It results in a sentimental family film that examines the legacy and the film’s formative impact on youth as Reitman explores dad’s movies and what the people who made them mean to him.
As touching as that can be, Reitman confusingly opts to trade humor for excessive fan service.
Single mom Callie (Carrie Coon) struggles to make ends meet, and an eviction notice comes right as she receives notification that her estranged father died. With nowhere else to go, she uproots her kids Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) to Summerville, Oklahoma, to take up residence in the creepy farmstead dad left her until she gets back on her feet. That Callie’s dad abandoned her as a child means the family discovers their legacy right as paranormal activity threatens to erupt in an apocalyptic fashion.
Mr. Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) and Callie (Carrie Coon) examine a weathered map in Columbia Pictures’ GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE.
Reitman, who co-wrote the script with Gil Kenan, bides his time allowing the newcomers to settle into Summerville. Phoebe, the lead protagonist that mirrors her grandfather in interests, looks, and personality, uncovers the farmstead’s secrets first and, through it, finally finds friendship in schoolmate Podcast (Logan Kim). While Callie forges a potential romance with teacher Mr. Grooberson (Paul Rudd), Trevor attempts to woo crush Lucky (Celeste O’Connor). That slow build allows the relationships and personalities to shine but puts the ghosts and comedy on the back burner for long stretches.
Other than the obvious connections, Afterlife doesn’t feel or look much like a Ghostbusters movie. It’s as though Reitman aims to capture the awe and splendor of a child soaking in this peculiar world for the first time, Spielberg-style, rather than the snarky quick-paced comedy that charmed audiences. That’s not to say Afterlife lacks charm; Grace brings it in spades and carries the film on her tiny shoulders quite remarkably. But Afterlife sets up a very different direction for the franchise, which favors family-oriented sweetness and sentimentality.
That might’ve been fine, but after a lengthy slow-build of world building and character development, Afterlife does an about-face and settles into a rapid run-through of the original film’s greatest hits. It’s an expansive Easter egg hunt through franchise references, callbacks, and plot beats more content to rehash familiar ground than forging ahead with something new. Only this time, attempts at humor never land outside of Grace’s deadpan delivery of bad jokes.
Lucky (Celeste O’Connor), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), Podcast (Logan Kim) and Phoebe (McKenna Grace) ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ | CREDIT: KIMBERLY FRENCH/SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Afterlife pens an endearing love letter to Harold Ramis; the entire feature feels solely for and about him. It’s both the film’s greatest strength and weakness. In honoring Ramis so wholly, Afterlife gives us a fantastic young heroine in his character’s image, moments that effectively tug at your heartstrings, and a clever progression on some of the franchise’s hallmarks. But it’s bogged down by an unoriginal plot that clashes with itself; Reitman attempts to create a soft reboot and sequel all at once. It shoves originality aside to ensure it’s ticked off every single box imaginable in appeasing the fandom.
The legacy of Ghostbusters means something different to Reitman than to the fans, and the filmmaker attempts to appease both to Afterlife‘s detriment. This is a salute to the past, more successful as a touching tribute than an original path forward- the sole exception lies with a post-end credit scene to set up sequels. It keeps its ghostly fun to a minimum until its breakneck third act and forgets the comedy almost altogether. Yet the cast gives it their all and engenders themselves well, and Reitman’s love for this franchise is nothing if not authentic. For all its flaws, Reitman’s adoration for both the Ghostbusters and the late Harold Ramis is infectious.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife haunts theaters on November 19, 2021.
