Despite a robust solid giving their all to make a promising premise work, ‘We Have a Ghost’ turns into doomed by its personal lack of creativity.
There is a spirit that haunts the Netflix household comedy horror We Have a Ghost, but it surely isn’t the pantomiming poltergeist referred to in its title. Rather, it’s the previous movies of writer-director Christopher Landon that really feel like they’re hovering excessive of his newest. Happy Death Day, Happy Death Day 2U, and Freaky have been all darker horror romps that, whereas imperfect, felt like they have been taking part in round with some fairly inventive elements. All have been conscious of their style in a means that allowed for calmly referential gags that have been each humorous and ugly, whereas additionally working as movies that stood on their very own. There are moments the place that very same spirit appears to snatch We Have a Ghost, however it’s smothered in a much more customary story. It isn’t ever fairly as audacious or unhinged because it must be, as a substitute current in a unusually secure in-between limbo the place it by no means makes the additional leap it must. Though barely higher than different comparable choices on the streamer, it nonetheless lacks the madcap vitality or style panache that we’ve come to see in Landon’s more moderen movies. This is the best disgrace of all of it because it isn’t with out some enjoyable, but it surely appears like it’s perpetually being held again from actually letting free.
This all begins with the Presley household who strikes into a brand new dwelling in Chicago. An opening oner exhibits one thing supernatural lurking inside it that drove out the prior inhabitants. Unaware of this, the scheming patriarch Frank (Anthony Mackie) and his extra skeptical spouse Melanie (Erica Ash) transfer their household into this paranormal abode. It is there that Kevin (Jahi Di’Allo Winston) discovers the largely silent ghost Ernest (David Harbour) hiding out within the attic. Initially shocked, he whips out his cellphone and movies the lonely spirit trying to scare him. Kevin’s brother Fulton (Niles Fitch) then discovers this video adopted shortly by Frank who desires to show Ernest right into a content material machine that can convey them fame and fortune.
The solely person who proves prepared to assist Kevin determine what to do with Ernest is his new buddy and classmate Joy (Isabella Russo) who appears like she will not be given as a lot materials to work with regardless of bringing an excessive amount of snark to the story. Though it attracts from the fairly easy but extra pointed brief story “Ernest” by Geoff Manaugh by equally wanting on the means the broader world quickly reacts to the ghost, the movie additionally stretches the narrative into its personal foolish and nostalgic instructions over its greater than two-hour runtime. Unfortunately, it’s a work that feels prefer it was extra a “one for them” challenge than one which has a lot ardour to it by itself. One hopes that it’ll hopefully result in Landon getting the prospect to return to creating extra unrestrained movies which can be allowed to extra totally embrace a darker absurdity.
With all that being stated, nobody ever appears like they’re phoning it in as can usually be the case with such movies. In addition to the principle solid, there are different enjoyable characters that pop up all through. There is a short sequence with the all the time nice Jennifer Coolidge taking part in a chaotic Internet medium who involves the Presley dwelling so as to make Ernest right into a section for her present although will get greater than she bargained for. Then there’s a terrific Tig Notaro virtually sarcastically taking part in a mystical scientist of types who additionally has ties to the CIA that would spell hassle for the principle characters. The movie doesn’t initially take an excessive amount of of this significantly till it all of the sudden does, making the humor begin to really feel strained by the fake sentimentality that programs by way of all the things. Where the emotional beats of Landon’s earlier movies felt extra pure and have been normally in service of the silliness, We Have a Ghost feels painfully pressured like the extra unimaginative horror comedies which have come earlier than it.
There is loads happening, with a thriller, a automotive chase, and different shenanigans, which will preserve youthful viewers entertained. However, for these hoping for one thing extra according to Landon’s prior work, this can seemingly show to be disappointing because it turns into constrained by conference versus flaunting it. Even when one thing appears like it might be wild on paper, like when Harbour as a ghost will launch himself by way of partitions or into rushing vehicles, it carries solely the smallest spark of enjoyable. When these moments change into more and more fleeting, even seeming to be truncated in how it’s haphazardly lower collectively, it’s all however extinguished.
It all makes for an odd experiment in competing visions because the supply materials, whereas not with out humor, was rather more targeted on deeper themes than the spectacle of slapstick that this one is. Don’t let it’s mistaken, it would all the time be traditional to see an invisible being manipulating matter and throwing issues round. There is only a basic absence of creativity in how these sequences are literally constructed. If something, as soon as the characters hit the street about halfway by way of, it begins to really feel just like the movie is working out of concepts about what they will do.
The fundamental subject is that its greatest belongings all really feel drawn from much more profitable horror comedies of the previous. Be it Beetlejuice, which is briefly referenced at one level, or lesser-known works just like the spectacular 2019 movie Extra Ordinary, there’s a lot that has accomplished this infinitely higher. There is a basic dearth of wit and appeal to this uninteresting expertise that marks its downfall when it takes a flip for the saccharine. Though it gained’t be amongst the worst horror comedies to come back out this yr, it’s also one which feels fated to fade from reminiscence as quickly as you end it. No matter what number of scattered chuckles you get from a few of its gifted comedic performances, there will likely be simply as many moments that elicit cringe over its depiction of social media or depart a way of vacancy in its hole conclusion. It is difficult to ever be too mad at it, however it’s a work that proves to be a disappointing slog all the identical. Neither wacky sufficient to be a successful comedy nor intelligent sufficient to be a horror sendup, We Have a Ghost is a movie that leaves little to know onto because it all simply finally ends up slipping by way of your fingers.
Rating: C
We Have a Ghost is accessible to stream on Netflix beginning February 24.