‘A Ghost Story’ Review: Boooooo

Release Date: July 21st, 2017
Cast: Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck
Director: David Lowery
Studio:  Sailor Bear, Zero Trans Fat Productions, Ideaman Studios, Scared Sheetless
Distributor: A24

This movie has some good ideas. The depiction of the life of a ghost is interesting, with their experience of time, their inability to exert power. Everything done in it is a choice, both deliberate and thoughtful. But deliberate doesn’t equal good, and thoughtful doesn’t equal worth while.

The movie has no regard for the time of the audience and is able to make five minutes stretch out to an eternity. This happens almost immediately, which is unfortunate. Had the movie waited just a little while to drag ass, it may have earned enough credit to make the experience worthwhile. Instead, it immediately leans into this crushingly, slow meditation on life and it is almost painful at times.

Rooney Mara does a good job of emoting without another person to act against and the arc of her and Casey Affleck’s character is interesting and worth introspection. But at a certain point the movie diverges for a time. Then, it gives us perhaps the most up its own ass scene, in which a house party is thrown and the character known as the Prognosticator delivers the most dialogue in the entire movie.

This means surely what he has to say is important or the real meat of the movie yeah? But his whole shtick is that making art is pointless as existence will all end and eventually be wiped clean. I do think the movie is trying to say something smarter or more worthwhile but it doesn’t do it the best.

Honestly, this movie is sheet thin and I cannot be bothered to delve any deeper into it without spoiling the maybe two real story beats. I think if you have the patience or the active will to enjoy this movie you just might, but for the vast majority, it is simply abrasive.

A Ghost Story is out everywhere now, whether it is worth your time or not… ehhh. I’d wait for it to be streaming.