Ghostbusters: Afterlife Movie Review : Nostalgia answers the call

Ghostbusters: Afterlife Story: This sequel to ‘Ghostbusters’ (1984) and ‘Ghostbusters II’ (1989) is set in Summerville, a quiet little town without much going on, except daily rumblings that residents seem to ignore.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife Review: When Callie (Carrie Coon) gets evicted from her home, she’s left with no choice but to move with her kids, Trevor and Phoebe, to her recently deceased father’s farmhouse in the sleepy small town of Summerville. As they try to fit in, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) meets some teens who work at a local diner. Meanwhile, the reserved and nerdy Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) befriends a classmate who calls himself Podcast (Logan Kim). Their teacher Mr. Grooberson (Paul Rudd), plays old horror movies for the class, which gives him time to look into the town’s inexplicable tremors. Phoebe and Trevor soon discover their dusty old farmhouse is filled with their grandfather's long-kept secrets.

‘Afterlife’ is helmed by Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman, who directed ‘Ghostbusters’ (1984) and ‘Ghostbusters II’ (1989). Unfortunately, the younger Reitman is cornered between setting a new path for the franchise while providing fan service for those who grew up on those beloved films. This is understandable considering the lacklustre and uninspired reboot in 2016. So even though ‘Afterlife’ does have its own narrative and emotional arcs involving Callie, Trevor, and mainly Phoebe, its screenplay relies heavily on nostalgia to pull through.

Different in tone and pace from previous entries, this sequel invests ample time in the first two acts to build its new characters. As Phoebe, Mckenna Grace channelizes the awkward nerdiness of Dr Egon Spengler, played by late Harold Ramis in the original films. The young actress is coming into her own and carries most of the emotional weight in ‘Afterlife’. Finn Wolfhard and Carrie Coon add to the family dynamic with their performances, while Paul Rudd is his reliably likeable self with his dad jokes. Do watch out for newcomer Logan Kim who is delightful as the goofy Podcast.

Towards the third act, and especially in its climax, the film often feels like it was re-edited, with some scenes pieced together awkwardly. However, that doesn’t detract from its poignant conclusion, including mid and end-credit scenes that should satisfy older Ghostbusters fans. In many ways, Jason Reitman’s vision of his father’s work is a gamble that pays dividends for longstanding franchise fans but could alienate new audiences in the bargain.