(L to R) Isabella Russo as Joy, Jahi Winston as Kevin, David Harbour as Ernest in We Have A Ghost. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.
“We Have a Ghost is a weirdly fun film that revisits the ghost story while also being surprisingly touching. David Harbour who plays the ghost shines without even saying a word. But Jahi Di’Allo Winston is the real standout.”
We Have a Ghost is Netflix’s latest comedy horror film. It brings together two Marvel stars – Anthony Mackie and David Harbour. I had the pleasure to watch it earlier this week. The film releases today on Netflix.
STORY
We Have a Ghost is as the title indicates a story about a ghost (played by David Harbour). It revisits that type of storyline. Indeed, at first it makes you think it goes into horror territory with the classic setting of an old house and the atmosphere. But, once you are settled in, it reverts that and follows the comedy path.
This film makes the smart move to ask the question how would people react to a ghost nowadays. And not everyone would be scared that is for sure. It showcases different type of reactions. Obviously, that involves social media. In that sense, it feels realistic because that would definitely happen if someone ever saw a ghost. This is a weirdly fun and silly film.
However, it is also surprisingly touching. I didn’t expect that at all. On one hand, Kevin (played by Jahi Di’Allo Winston) investigating on the ghost’s past turns out to have some emotional reveals. That investigation acts like a buddy adventure with Kevin, the ghost and Isabella Russo’s character. On the other hand, Kevin has a complicated relationship with his father (played by Anthony Mackie), which also plays an important role in the story. In the middle of that, there is a dash of thriller too with an unexpected plot twist.
CAST
Moreover, David Harbour shines as the ghost. And he doesn’t even say a word. This should speak volumes about how good he is. You can say a lot with just a look on your face. Anthony Mackie is also pretty good as Frank, the father of the family. His tirade/monologue delivery is always on point. He shares a powerful scene with his son at one point. And his voice holds so much gravitas. He definitely has a way of capturing the audience’s attention. But the real standout in the cast is Jahi Di’Allo Winston. He is the actual lead of this film. His performance is impressive.
Obviously, I have to talk about Jennifer Coolidge. She plays a TV medium. And as you would expect from her, she is ridiculously funny. She automatically makes any comedy better even if she is just there for a short time.
VISUALS
Visually, the film sets the atmosphere for a horror story. Indeed, when you first see the house, you can’t stop but thinking that this is a setting for a horror film and something bad will happen. The cinematographer Marc Spicer creates an atmosphere with tensions only to revert it when the story goes into the comedy territory. There is a nice game of creating different atmospheres as the story progresses. Furthermore, this film has a beautiful color grading and some striking wide shots.
SOUNDTRACK
Finally, Bear McCreary composes the score. He definitely delivers a fantastic work. He has tracks that help create the horror/thriller tensions, while other tracks are more adapted for comedy and others are really into the emotional side. His emotional tracks are the strongest. They really are powerful. There is a scene where his score plays without any dialogue and allied with the visuals, it creates something so beautiful.
VERDICT
We Have a Ghost is a weirdly fun film that revisits the ghost story while also being surprisingly touching. David Harbour who plays the ghost shines without even saying a word. But Jahi Di’Allo Winston is the real standout.
We Have a Ghost starts streaming on Netflix today.
Author
Collectables Editor at Future Of The Force.
Star Wars and Marvel specialist, anime expert
