Quick Hit - Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Jason Reitman gives Ghostbusters: Afterlife a bit of that Spielberg flair. Columbia Pictures (2021).

By Nick M. W.

Surprisingly good enough to warm this Xennial’s cold, reboot-weary heart.

As a certified member of the “Oregon Trail Generation”, I was skeptical of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The 1984 Ghostbusters is mostly beloved. It had been a staple in our family’s VHS library. The bright-eyed elementary school version of me in the late 80s and early 90s loved that movie, The Real Ghostbusters cartoon, Ghostbusters II, and all the merchandise.

The current reboot-weary mid-life version of me was skeptical of Afterlife. These types of sequels that show up decades too late seem to usually disappoint fans. Surprisingly, Ghostbusters: Afterlife was a satisfying conclusion to one volume of ghost busting shenanigans while introducing a new group of young Ghostbusters to carry the franchise for another generation.

The story focuses on Egon Spengler’s estranged family), specifically his relationship with his daughter, played by Carrie Coon, and grandchildren Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace. They move into Spengler’s home in rural Oklahoma after his death, and Paranormal things soon start happening. It’s up to the grandkids to save the world as we know it from that pesky Gozer.

An artistic rendition of Trevor, Podcast, and Phoebe chasing down Slimer in Ghostbusters : Afterlife. Columbia Pictures (2021).

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is stuffed with enough Easter eggs and nostalgia to warm a cold Xennial’s heart However, it didn’t leave the same imprint on pop-culture as the 1984 original. It was just another successful movie, which is enough to earn a sequel, but is it enough to last in people’s hearts and minds. These days, it seems to be an impossible task for any movie not slapped with the Marvel brand to grab people’s attention. It takes a Top Gun: Maverick, and a Hollywood titan like Tom Cruise, to pull that off.

Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace, all the original Ghostbusters (including Harold Ramis’ CGI persona and spirit) do a wonderful job in their roles; Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan wrote a serviceable story and keep the movie anchored in a space that honors the goofy fun I remember from these movies.

Queue up Ghostbusters: Afterlife for a family-friendly Spooky Season treat.