Ghostbusters Afterlife movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Ghostbusters Afterlife

This nostalgic sequel to the 1980s popular franchise Ghostbusters is now available in theaters nationwide in the USA.

RATING: PG-13 (This is the second Ghostbusters film to be rated PG-13)

LENGTH: 2 hours 4 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

Who you gonna call? The Ghostbusters are back! After the disastrous Ghostbusters (2016) box office bomb, all further sequels were completely abandoned. Then, Sony decided to make a sequel to the original two films. Yay!

The heartfelt film has been dedicated to Harold Ramis who passed away in 2014. At the end of the movie, you see “For Harold” written on the screen. They even gave him writing credits. What a sweet tribute. He played Egon Spengler, the grandfather in the story who was one of the original Ghostbusters. While filming, it was kept secret which GHOSTBUSTER would be the grandfather in this sequel. The film relies heavily on nostalgia, giving a respectful nod to the past and adding a new layer to the present day.

It’s about a single mom and her two kids when they arrive in a small town after being evicted from their home. The grandfather passes away, leaving them a beat-up home out in the middle of nowhere. Soon, they begin to discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind.

The sequel to this extremely popular franchise of the 80s was directed by Jason Reitman. He actually appeared in the 1989 Ghostbusters II sequel as the kid who tells Ray that, according to his father, the Ghostbusters are “full of crap.” His father in real life is Ivan Reitman, the man who directed the first Ghostbusters movie in 1984 and its sequel Ghostbusters II in 1989! Day Aykroyd and Gil Kenan helped Reitman write the script. Fans of the original Ghostbusters will be thrilled to learn that Dan Aykroyd is connected to this project.

THINGS I LIKED:

Bill Murray! Yes! Ernie Hudson! Yes! Annie Potts! Yes! Sigourney Weaver! I love seeing some of the original Ghostbusters cast in this movie. Some of the cast members were hesitant to return to their roles. Bill Murray finally agreed to it saying, “The script is good. It’s got lots of emotion in it. It’s got lots of family in it with lines that are really interesting. It’s gonna work.”
This new addition really feels like it belongs to the franchise.
There were some scenes that actually made me tear up!
The opening music and images let you know you’re in for a fun adventure.
McKenna Grace is the star of this movie. I’m super impressed by her acting chops. In this movie, she gets to wear the same glass frames as her character’s grandfather, Dr. Egon Spengler, played by the late Harold Ramis. She wrote and sang the song “Haunted House” that plays during the final rolling credits! You might have also seen her in Gifted, The Handmaid’s Tale, and I, Tonya. She has an incredibly bright future in films.
Paul Rudd is on a roll in his film career and also just got named “Sexiest Man Alive”. He always plays such likable characters. When he announced that he was going to be in the film, he did it on social media, standing in front of the Hook and Ladder 8 Ghostbusters headquarters in New York City. There’s actually a Ghostbusters sign hanging on the inside of the building to this day! I caught a cute Easter egg involving him in the movie. At one point, his character is seen reading an Avenger’s comic book since he plays Scott Lang/Ant-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
There’s something really special about Finn Wolfhard. I can’t keep my eyes off him when he’s on-screen. He didn’t even know he was auditioning for this movie because the audition sides were purposefully kept generic and vague to keep the film a secret. Fun Fact: Finn’s character in Stranger Things dressed up as one of the Ghostbusters for Halloween.
I don’t know that I had ever seen Carrie Coon in anything before but she was nominated for a Tony Award in the Best Featured Actress category for her debut role as Honey in Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Her husband, the famous Tracy Letts, plays the owner of the hardware store in the movie.
Logan Kim is completely adorable. I expect to see more of him in future films.
Listen for the voice of funnyman Josh Gad who voices Muncher. You might also be surprised to learn that the beautiful Olivia Wilde voices Gozer.
You get to see some clips from the original Ghostbusters.
Fun fact: This is the first GHOSTBUSTERS movie to take place outside of the New York City setting. Welcome to Oklahoma!
I love the double meaning of the title. The fact that the film is a sequel refers to the afterlife of the first movies. Afterlife also refers to life after death.
Look for Easter eggs. Here’s one: The Toastmaster 2-slice toaster from Ghostbusters II is seen in the kitchen at Egon’s house.
If you’re interested in getting your hands on one of those Aztec Death Whistles, you’re in luck! Believe it or not, you can actually buy one on Amazon at

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You get to see some old footage from the previous Ghostbusters movies
The Stay Puft Marshmallows scene is hilarious.
There’s a new video game by Sony that’s based on this movie. It’s supposed to be really cool with some fun special features.
You can get it on Amazon by clicking here:
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THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

It takes a long time to get the story going.
It takes almost an hour before you see a ghost.
Some of the CGI was a miss. Then again, maybe that was intentional. For example, Gozer looked like the old 1980s creature, rather than a super slick 2021 version.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Talk of the death of a grandparent
Talk of people being poor
Some scary and humorous ghosts
You see a dead body
Kids should probably watch the first two movies before watching this one so they can fully appreciate the background stories and significance of the characters and Gozer.
Kids will learn a lot of random scientific facts.

THEMES:

Family
Legacy
Life after death
Friendship
Forgiveness
Science

FUNNY LINES:

“Why should you never trust atoms? Because they literally make up everything.” – Phoebe (Mckenna Grace)
“What do you call a dead polar bear? Anything you want. It’s dead. It can’t hear you anymore.” – Phoebe (Mckenna Grace)
“What kind of a scientist was Grandpa?” – Phebe (Mckenna Grace) “The kind that repels relatives.” – Callie (Carrie Coon)
“Are you drunk or really bored? I think I can see you falling asleep.” – Grooberson (Paul Rudd)