Movie · 1990 · Fantasy, Romance, Thriller · 2h 7m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 4.5/10 (554.6K ratings)
Before Sam was murdered, he told Molly he'd love and protect her forever.
Overview
After a young man is murdered, his spirit stays behind to warn his lover of impending danger, with the help of a reluctant psychic.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.5/10
IMDb: 7.1/10
Letterboxd: 3.59/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 74%
Metacritic: 52
TMDB: 7.2/10
Director
Jerry Zucker
Production
Paramount Pictures, Howard W. Koch Productions
Cast
Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Goldwyn, Vincent Schiavelli, Rick Aviles, Martina Deignan, Rick Kleber, Phil Leeds, Armelia McQueen, Gail Boggs, Stephen Root, Alma Beltran, Vivian Bonnell, Derek Thompson, Tom Finnegan, Bruce Jarchow, Said Faraj, Dorothy Love Coates, Christopher J. Keene
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, emotionally sincere supernatural romance-thriller with a huge pop-culture footprint. It blends melodrama, mystery, and comedy surprisingly well, anchored by a memorable central performance and a scene-stealing supporting turn.
Best for
viewers who like romance with a supernatural hook
fans of 90s studio melodrama and high-concept crowd-pleasers
people who enjoy a mix of tears, suspense, and light comedy
audiences looking for an iconic date-movie with a darker edge
Skip if
you want a tightly plotted thriller with no soap-opera excess
you dislike earnest sentimentality or big emotional swings
you prefer subtle performances over broad, crowd-pleasing ones
you are not interested in romance as the movie's emotional engine
Overview
Ghost is one of those mainstream hits that knows exactly what it is: a romantic fantasy wrapped in a murder mystery and played with total sincerity. The premise is absurd on paper, but the movie commits hard enough that the emotional payoff lands, especially when it shifts between longing, danger, and afterlife weirdness.
Worth noting
What keeps it memorable is the balance. It has genuine suspense, a very strong sense of romantic yearning, and a comic side that never feels like an afterthought. The supporting psychic character gives the film much of its personality, and the movie’s most famous sequence earns its reputation because it understands both desire and grief.
Bottom line
It is also very much a product of its era, with the kind of polished studio sheen and heightened emotion that can feel either irresistible or overdone depending on your taste. If you want a big, accessible supernatural romance with real star power, it still works.
Top Letterboxd reviews
gabi (4★) · 4360 likes
so you’re telling me a ghost worked faster than the police? well i’m not surprised
adambolt (4★) · 3726 likes
still trying to figure out how he can sit on chairs
Corbin (4★) · 2386 likes
I hope Whoopi Goldberg’s back is okay after she carried this entire movie.
🐌 (3★) · 2382 likes
bro did you seriously just talk during the Pottery Scene from Ghost (1990)
Daniel 🏳️🌈 (5★) · 2182 likes
friend from work: oh my god is he dead?me: why do you think it’s called fucking GHOST?!
This is a genuine conversation that actually happened.