Happy Death Day and Freaky director Christopher Landon breaks aways from his Blumhouse stomping grounds to deliver a new family horror-comedy for Netflix – We Have a Ghost.
The film, based on Geoff Manaugh’s 2017 short story Ernest, follows a family who recently moved into a decrepit old house with the hopes of mending it as well as their fractured relationships. The youngest of the family, Kevin (Jahi Di’Allo Winston), isn’t happy about the move, but soon discovers something that changes his entire perspective on the house.
Upon entering the attic, Kevin discovers a ghost named Ernest (David Harbour), who can’t talk and doesn’t remember how he died. Kevin and Ernest quickly form a bond leading Kevin to want to uncover Ernest’s past to help him move on. Unfortunately, things become complicated as Kevin’s father (Anthony Mackie) wants to use Ernest for internet fame. However, this ends up getting the attention of the government making Ernest and Kevin’s family a prime target.
From the opening moments, it’s clear that We Have a Ghost has a different feel to it than Landon’s previous films. It gives off vibes of an Amblin family adventure from the ‘80s/’90s and it’s hard not to see the film as a more mature and modern ode to Casper. When the film totally delves into the budding relationship of Kevin and Ernest as well as Ernest becoming an internet sensation everyone wants a piece of, it’s a ton of fun to watch. The entire sequence dedicated to Ernest’s fast rise on social media and the different waves of notoriety he gains has some incredibly funny moments. There’s a ridiculous internet challenge formed that you know would actually happen if Ernest was real and it’s pretty hilarious to watch how huge social debates are formed around this goofy ghost.
Ernest, himself, is just a treat and it’s not just because Harbour is such a good fit for a slightly intimidating, hidden goofball. Landon uses Ernest’s distinct ghost abilities well throughout the film and the scenes that see him in full action are a blast. There’s an incredibly conceived car chase that has Ernest saving the day in some unexpected but extraordinary ways. There’s a moment where Ernest is forced to take on a TV psychic (Jennifer Coolidge) and it’s full of hilarious horror that’s fun for everyone. It even offers some boundary-pushing terror for younger audiences that’ll easily entice them, and Ernest honestly has some great effects behind him.
The film’s story is great to watch because Kevin and Ernest’s relationship is so genuine and there are some good threads with Kevin’s iffy relationship with his father. The mystery behind Ernest’s death definitely drives the film in an interesting direction and plays a big role in keeping viewers on the hook. Kevin and his father go through some meaningful growth and the way their relationship is depicted treads some realistic ground. Their divide isn’t boiled down to one exact thing and they don’t just easily mend after one little heart to heart. It’s a great showing of Landon’s direction with character arcs and Mackie and Winston give great performances that elevate the emotion of Kevin’s fractured relationship with his father. Plus, most of the cast has some fun lines and good chemistry overall.
However, the film’s third act just doesn’t hit all its beats perfectly and comes off messy. After Ernest and Kevin’s investigation hits a big snag, the film rushes to its conclusions. The answer behind Ernest’s death is just forcibly brought back into the film for a quick finale fight and it makes the conclusion a little unsatisfying because of its rushed execution. The arc for a secondary antagonist is also affected by the film’s rush as it causes her to have a sudden change of heart for no real reason. Some of the dialogue and humor, which is already hit or miss throughout, also falters too much in the last act. And while the film does deliver a good emotional final moment between Ernest and Kevin, it’s hard to shake how we got there.
We Have a Ghost definitely isn’t Landon’s cleanest or best film, but it’s definitely an incredibly fun watch with the potential to get a younger crowd and their families into the horror space. It puts an incredibly fun modern spin on the haunted house premise and lets a boy and his ghost relationship totally steal your heart and make you laugh.
 ghost movie now on Netflix.){kind=link}