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Christopher Landon creates wonderfully quirky horror pictures that defy the genre’s current cynicism. In films like “Happy Death Day,” “Happy Death Day 2U,” and “Freaky,” he avoids the pretension of “elevated horror” by conveying contagious joy through his filmmaking. Whatever you think of their execution or overall quality, I don’t believe anyone can deny Landon had a good time creating them. “We Have a Ghost,” his newest film, is at its best when Landon is allowed to be goofy in a way that simply makes the viewer smile. Unfortunately, his writing isn’t as sharp as his directing, as the film drags on far too long and through numerous endings, even as it appears content to repeat themes and images rather than expanding on the film’s intriguing ideas. Finally, it’s a good distraction, which is all most people want from Netflix, but I’m hoping he creates “Happy Death Day 3” before returning to this world.
“We Have a Ghost,” based on Geoff Manaugh’s short story Ernest, begins with the Presley family relocating to a fixer-upper in Chicago. Father Frank (Anthony Mackie) is battling to make ends meet while also maintaining a healthy relationship with his increasingly distant son Kevin (Jahi Di’Allo Winston, who was fantastic in “Charm City Kings” and “Everything Sucks!”). Almost immediately after their arrival, Kevin is investigating the attic when he comes across Ernest, a trapped soul. (David Harbour, giving a silent performance). Ernest can’t speak, but he’s been scaring people away since the 1970s, when he passed. Kevin is not frightened. He captures Ernest with his phone, and a viral ghost appears.
Imagine if TikTok and YouTube were infested with real ghosts. What would occur? Landon doesn’t do much with this rich idea, instead having people screaming outside the Presley home, including a man dressed as Jesus. It’s fascinating to watch Frank attempt to cash in on Ernest’s existence by posing as a cultural agent. He even hires a local medium for a meeting with Ernest, allowing for one of the film’s more impressive effects as well as potential memes from a Jennifer Coolidge cameo. But there hasn’t been enough done with the concept of what evidence of the afterlife would imply. It doesn’t have to be deeply philosophical, but even a cursory investigation could have helped flesh out this idea.
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Instead, “We Have a Ghost” focuses excessively on a paranormal scientist called Dr. Leslie Monroe (Tig Notaro) and her CIA boss Arnold Schipley. (Steve Coulter). In the middle of the film, Ernest, Kevin, and their scene-stealing neighbor Joy (Isabella Russo) attempt to escape the armed guards and figure out why this poor guy hasn’t fully transitioned to the next plane of existence. Of course, “We Have a Ghost” becomes a bit of a whodunit as Ernest discovers the truth about what happened to him, including the name of his assailant.
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Winston feels like a future celebrity; he’s so confident and natural at such a young age, and Harbour is effective in a portrayal that could have been all exaggerated mugging to compensate for zero dialogue. There’s enough to like in the two of them to keep teenagers and their parents from checking social media too frequently while it’s playing, but it lacks the punch that would make them put their phones down for good. There is simply a lack of urgency, particularly in the final act, which repeats concepts and then ends multiple times. This film should resonate like “Freaky” and “Happy Death Day,” which were significantly shorter. (and felt tighter).
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Even as it sags in places, “We Have a Ghost” never fully fades into the dull background of Netflix originals of late. We may not have a clear victor, but we do have a good diversion.
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