"You didn't hit it. You destroyed it! It doesn't exist anymore."
Callie (Coon) and her children Trevor (Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Grace) are evicted from their apartment in Chicago. With no other options, they travel to the property Callie inherited from her late father: a remote farm in Summerville, Oklahoma. They are unimpressed with the dilapidated house, which is another difficult reminder of Callie's complicated relationship with her father.
The family reluctantly settles into their new life. Trevor gets a job at the local diner, to spend more time with his crush Lucky (O'Connor), while Phoebe enrolls in summer school. Phoebe befriends her conspiracy theorist and podcasting classmate known as Podcast (Kim). Her summer school teacher, Gary Grooberson (Rudd) is a seismologist who is studying the unusual activity in town. Phoebe also notices strange things at the house. After finding a ghost trap hidden in the house, Phoebe discovers that her late grandfather was a member of the Ghostbusters and an old enemy has emerged. As they explore the property, can Phoebe and Trevor find the tools to save the world from ghosts?
This film is a sequel to the 1989 film Ghostbusters 2 and the 1984 film Ghostbusters.
The Good:
The film packs a nostalgic punch that was missing from the 2016 gender flipped version Ghostbusters: Answer the Call, directed by Paul Feig. The story, written by director Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan, is full of details connected to the original films, while also telling a new story. This works as both a love letter to fans of the original series, while introducing a new audience to the franchise.
Most of the characters from the original films return here, to varying degrees. William Atherton, who was antagonist Walter Peck in the original films, does not appear here, but is in the sequel. I laughed when the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man appeared on the screen in a fun nod to the original film. The new cast works well, especially Paul Rudd (although I wish he was in more of the film).
The Bad:
It takes some time to get into the story. With a 2+ hour run-time, you would hope/want the story to move along a little faster.
Other Comments:
-Reitman's father, Ivan Reitman, directed the original Ghostbusters movies.
-Dan Aykroyd's daughter, Stella Aykroyd, is Deputy Medjuck (the character is named after Joe Medjuck who was a producer in the original films).
-The film features practical effects, which works well.
-Gozer, Zuul, and Vinz appeared in the original 1984 film. There are some fun nods to those performances in this film (including Zuul's dress).
-Dedicated to Harold Ramis, who died in 2014. Ramis family read the script and endorsed the film, including the use of Ramis' likeness.
-As a fan of the original series, I enjoyed the nostalgia and updates to the franchise. It was great to see the original cast (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts) and where their characters are now.
-There are 2 scenes during the credits, one features original cast member Sigourney Weaver and Bill Murray and the other features Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts. Both work well as glimpses into the lives of the original Ghostbusters, while also hinting at future appearances.
-I enjoyed the film and look forward to the sequel.
-A sequel, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, was made in 2024. The cast of this film returned for the sequel, which was again written by Reitman and Kenan (with Kenan taking over as director).
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) 124 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for supernatural action and some suggestive references
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Carrie Coon as Callie
Finn Wolfhard as Trevor
Mckenna Grace as Phoebe
Bokeem Woodbine as Sherman Domingo
Paul Rudd as Gary Grooberson
Logan Kim as Podcast
Celeste O'Connor as Lucky Domingo
Bill Murray as Peter Venkman
Dan Aykroyd as Raymond "Ray" Stantz
Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore
Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz
Sigourney Weaver as Dana Barrett
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