We Have a Ghost (2023) Movie Review

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We Have A Ghost – Movie Review

Writer: Christopher Landon (Screenplay)

Cast

Anthony Mackie (Captain American The Winter Soldier)
David Harbour (Black Widow)
Jahi Winston (Queen & Slim)
Tig Notaro (Army of the Dead)
Jennifer Coolidge (American Pie)

Plot: Finding a ghost named Ernest haunting their new home turns Kevin’s family into overnight social media sensations. But when Kevin and Ernest investigate the mystery of Ernest’s past, they become a target of the CIA.

Runtime: 2 Hours 6 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: We Have a Ghost starts when the Presley family, Frank (Mackie), Melanie (Ash), Kevin (Winston) and Fulton (Fitch) move into a new home. They need a fresh start from their previous life, despite not being happy about the decision. Kevin, the youngest has become very distant from life keeping himself isolated.

When Kevin discovers a ghost Ernest (Harbour) in the attic, he finds himself making a new friend. However, Frank sees the video and wants to jump on the viral fame of discovering a ghost. Elsewhere, Dr Leslie Monroe (Notaro) has been hunting for ghosts for her whole career and believes she knows what caused Ernest’s appearance.

Verdict on We Have a Ghost

Characters

Frank is the husband and father of the family, he has always looked for a way to get rich quickly. However, his latest project left the family broke and needing a fresh start. When he learns about Ernest, he looks to go viral, using Ernest to achieve this. He is seen as a very selfish figure that will put his family at risk.

Kevin is the youngest member of the family who seems to create a connection with Ernest. He sees it as a new friend and wants to help him discover why he is trapped in this world. Kevin challenges his father to help Ernest, showing he has a kinder nature than his father.

Ernest is the ghost discovered in the home. He ends up getting close to Kevin and showing that he is a more friendly ghost. Ernest can’t talk but is always looking to understand his story. He gets to have fun with the ghost elements of his character.

Dr Monroe has been hunting for evidence of ghosts her whole career. She originally dismisses the Ernest claims but once it goes viral, she sees her chance to redeem herself.

In the supporting roles, we get the rest of Kevin’s family, his mother and older brother. The two don’t get much time to shine despite Melanie having bigger points for everything. Fulton is seen as someone following in his father’s footsteps, desperate for social media fame.

Performances

The movie might well have a couple of big names with Anthony Mackie and David Harbour. However, it is Jahi Winston that shines the most in this movie. his character has the biggest amount of work to do throughout the movie, showing his self-discovery. Elsewhere, Mackie gets to play fully into the selfish desperate for fame without the work father. David Harbour gets to have a lot of fun in his role throughout the movie. Tig Notaro brings her comedy to the role which sees her shining in the supporting role.

Story

The story follows a family that moves into a new home and discovers they have a ghost. It sees the father try to profit off the idea, while the youngest son looks to help the ghost learn who they are. This sees the family needing to learn what is important and Ernest discovering the truth.

The story is clever and manages to keep a lot of the tone similar to ‘Casper’ in the style of a ghost. It offers up a mystery about what happened to Ernest. As well as a core storyline of a family needing to become united in their time of need and overcome their problems. The movie has a nice tone to it and keeps us entertained throughout.

This being a comedy movie works well and could easily be placed in the entertainment factor of Ghostbusters. In the special effects, certain ones work and others feel off, but it is trying to create a more unique ghost presence. There is plenty of discussion about social media fame and the desperation to go viral. This is seen in the reaction to the videos as everyone has an opinion.

Where to Watch: We Have a Ghost is available on Netflix now.

Final Thoughts – We Have a Ghost is an entertaining, heartfelt comedy.