We Have a Ghost Review

We Have a Ghost review.

The new Netflix ghost comedy We Have a Ghost is a little too long, and a little too light on laughs. A great cast wring everything they can out of the script, delivering some surprisingly moving moments.

New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.

We Have a Ghost

Directed by Christopher Landon

Screenplay by Christopher Landon

Starring David Harbour, Anthony Mackie, Jahi Winston, Erica Ash, Jennifer Coolidge and Tig Notaro

We Have a Ghost Review

We Have a Ghost is best described as a family film.  If seeing those words immediately make you think that means it isn’t funny enough to be deemed an outright comedy…well…you’re right.  What it does have is some heartfelt moments between parents and their children…and an emotional payoff to the mystery of the ghost in the family attic.

A struggling family moves into a home that is haunted by a ghost (David Harbour).  Kevin (Jahi Winston) befriends the mute ghost while his father (Anthony Mackie) attempts to turn the haunting into a money maker.  When the situation goes viral…the family has more than a ghost to worry about.  The CIA wants to capture the ghost.

Harbour’s ghost (Ernest) is unable to communicate through speech.  He can touch people…but they can’t touch him.  The rules of this haunting are specific to what the story calls for.  It feels like lore thrown together on the fly through the writing process.  We need Ernest to do this…so he can.  But we can’t have this happen…so he can’t do that.  It’s a minor annoyance…all ghost movies have their own take on it.  But it is indicative of       We Have a Ghost’s biggest problem. 

To be blunt, We Have a Ghost feels very cookie cutter.  No conclusion feels like it is reached organically.  Things happen because this is the part of the story where something has to happen.  Paint by numbers that is afraid to go outside of the lines.  This method means you’re going to get something that works as a picture when you’re finished.  It also means that it will lack any style or surprises.

Thankfully, We Have a Ghost has a few secret weapons.  Namely, its cast.  Harbour gives a terrific wordless performance as the seemingly trapped spirit who doesn’t remember anything about who he is or why he is there.  In most ways, this is his movie.  The main driving forces of the story are the mystery of what happened to him and the government’s attempt to neutralize him.

The rest of the cast is up to the task as well.  Mackie does a fine turn as a father trying to take advantage of a situation.  His conflicts with Kevin feel real enough.  As this is a family film…the opportunistic father will, of course, learn the error of his ways and make peace with his son.  It’s in this scene that Mackie is called upon to hit the emotions hard…and he absolutely crushes it.  Whatever your thoughts on We Have a Ghost are up to this point…Mackie gives such a fantastic performance in his big scene that you might get choked up.

Emotional payoffs are the greatest strength of We Have a Ghost.  Harbour imbues Ernest with a sadness and longing that permeates the film.  His story has a moving climax that matches his good work.  Supporting characters have their own mini-arcs that pay off in satisfying ways as well.  From a budding romance for Kevin, to a family looking for common ground, to a scientist (Tig Notaro) who wrestles with the cost of research…We Have a Ghost has no shortage of fine moments.

What it doesn’t have a lot of…is laughs.  There are funny people here…and a fair amount of hijinks at play…but it’s never really funny.  Another pass on the script by someone with a comedy background could have added a lot to the sturdy structure.  But again, We Have a Ghost isn’t painting the numbers in another color. 

You probably already know what We Have a Ghost is when you read the plot summary…or watch a trailer.  And you’re probably right.  Which means that you also already know if it’s something you are going to enjoy watching.  It’s a good watch for a family looking for light, predictable entertainment.  The cast elevates it to a satisfying level.  But it can only do so much.

Scare Value

We Have a Ghost is the kind of movie you’ll be fine sitting back and relaxing to. The cast is working hard to make it worthwhile. In the end, it’s too long for what it has to offer…and it can’t scare up enough laughs to work as a comedy. Still, it finds enough moments to care about (thanks to the cast) to make it work well enough.

2.5/5

We Have a Ghost Link

Streaming on Netflix

We Have a Ghost Trailer

If you enjoyed this review of We Have a Ghost, check out our reviews of The Lair, Bunker and The Witch: Part 2. The Other One