A sequel that’s more fun than it is fear-evoking with a frightfully consistent dose of welcome nostalgia from beginning to end.
Logan Kim & McKenna Grace in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" - Columbia Pictures (Sony)
Spoiler-Free Summary
With nowhere else to turn, Callie (Carrie Coon) moves her family to the small town of Summerville, Oklahoma where her late father left them an aging farmhouse whose nearest neighbor is a creepy, abandoned mine. As kids Phoebe (McKenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) explore their new surroundings and make new friends (Logan Kim, Celeste O’Connor), they begin to discover their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind. Aided by Mr. Grooberson (Paul Rudd), a local teacher and seismologist tracking their small town’s streak of mysterious earthquakes, they will quickly learn…
There’s something strange in the neighborhood!
Paul Rudd & Carrie Coon in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" - Columbia Pictures (Sony)
My Take
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” has a little bit of everything for the entire family, which might upset the more serious film critics out there. Not exactly bone-chilling but certainly scary enough for my daughter, who just turned five, to warrant covering her eyes for several scenes during a Sony screening earlier this month. A solid dose of laughs in the form of goofy jokes you typically find in comedies starring Paul Rudd was exactly the kind of humor I was hoping would make an appearance in this sequel that manages to equally captivate and endear. My wise-beyond-her-years daughter, a big fan of the original like her brother, has questioned Bill Murray's predatory behavior in the original film and the repetitive cues suggesting that we, the audience, just laugh it all off so casually. I am happy to report the humor in “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” does not stem from awkward creepiness (sorry Venkman, we know it was a “different time”) with some very likable cast cast additions that are sure to draw a younger set of fans to an already beloved franchise.
Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace & Logan Kim in"Ghostbusters: Afterlife" - Columbia Pictures (Sony)
Where to Watch
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is exclusively playing in theaters November 19, 2021. Sony has yet to announce their plan for digital and home release.
The Credits
DIRECTOR: Jason Reitman
WRITERS: Gil Kenan & Jason Reitman
PRODUCER: Ivan Reitman
CAST: Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Annie Potts & Paul Rudd
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Dan Aykroyd, Gil Kenan, Jason Blumenfeld, Michael Beugg, Aaron L. Gilbert & Jason Cloth