Movie · 2021 · Fantasy, Comedy, Adventure · 2h 4m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 1.8/10 (617.9K ratings)
Discover the past. Save the future.
Overview
When single mom Callie and her two kids Trevor and Phoebe arrive in a small Oklahoma town, they begin to discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.8/10
IMDb: 7.0/10
Letterboxd: 3.01/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 63%
Metacritic: 45
TMDB: 7.3/10
Director
Jason Reitman
Production
Columbia Pictures, Bron Studios, The Montecito Picture Company, Ghost Corps
Cast
Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Logan Kim, Celeste O'Connor, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Sigourney Weaver, Bob Gunton, J.K. Simmons, Shawn Seward, Billy Bryk, Sydney Mae Díaz, Hannah Duke, Bokeem Woodbine, Paulina Alexis, Marlon Kazadi
Where to watch
Hulu, fuboTV
Curator Review
Verdict
A sentimental, legacy-sequel take on Ghostbusters that leans hard into nostalgia, family drama, and fan-service. It has charm, some effective creature work, and a few warm character beats, but it often feels more interested in references and inheritance than in the anarchic comic energy that made the original special.
Best for
viewers who like legacy sequels and franchise callbacks
families looking for a spooky-but-light adventure
fans of earnest coming-of-age stories with supernatural elements
audiences who enjoy nostalgic 80s IP revival
Skip if
you want sharp, improvisational comedy
you dislike heavy nostalgia and reference-driven storytelling
you prefer the original Ghostbusters’ urban, adult-oriented tone
you are tired of franchise revival plots centered on inherited destiny
Overview
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is built like a love letter to the original film, but it’s also a very different kind of movie: quieter, more sentimental, and much more invested in family lineage than in comic chaos. Jason Reitman gives it a polished, nostalgic sheen, and the younger cast, especially Mckenna Grace, helps keep it grounded when the movie starts leaning on callbacks and mythmaking.
Worth noting
The film works best when it behaves like a small-town adventure about grief, inheritance, and kids discovering a secret history. It has a few genuinely sweet moments and enough creature effects to make the supernatural side feel playful. But the humor is uneven, and the movie often pauses to point at its own legacy instead of building a fresh identity.
Bottom line
If you’re open to a softer, more reverent Ghostbusters movie, there’s enough charm here to enjoy. If you want the original’s loose, adult, joke-dense rhythm, this one may feel like a well-meaning imitation that never quite finds its own comic voice.
Top Letterboxd reviews
demi adejuyigbe · 5666 likes
not one person in this movie reacts to their initial undeniable confirmation of ghosts as the life-changing moment it should be. every single person experiences their first ghost with the intrigue of seeing a novelty license plate
Griffin Newman (1.5★) · 3722 likes
Bustin’ made me feel bad.
David Sims (1.5★) · 3655 likes
“i’m giving Ghostbusters back to the fans!”
*writes script where one of the new Ghostbusters is called Podcast*
Patrick Willems (2★) · 2059 likes
I can't imagine the Ghostbusters theme song existing in the world of this movie which seems wrong for a Ghostbusters movie
Bryan Espitia (2.5★) · 1917 likes
Paul Rudd’s class seems great. No work and you just watch 80s horror movies all day? Now that’s a real education.