Movie · 2016 · Action, Fantasy, Comedy · 1h 57m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 0.9/10 (597.9K ratings)
Answer the call.
Overview
Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.9/10
IMDb: 6.8/10
Letterboxd: 2.33/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 74%
Metacritic: 60
TMDB: 5.3/10
Director
Paul Feig
Production
Ghost Corps, Columbia Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, LStar Capital, Feigco Entertainment, Pascal Pictures
Cast
Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth, Neil Casey, Zach Woods, Ed Begley Jr., Charles Dance, John Milhiser, Ben Harris, Karan Soni, Bess Rous, Steve Higgins, Dave Allen, Katie Dippold, Nate Corddry, Daniel Ramis, Pat Kiernan, Bill Murray
Where to watch
Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, joke-forward reboot with a strong ensemble and a few genuinely inspired comic turns, but it never fully escapes the shadow of the original or the burden of being a franchise referendum. If you want a breezy supernatural comedy with big personalities and some sharp improv energy, it works better than its reputation suggests.
Best for
fans of female-led studio comedies
viewers who like broad improv-heavy humor
people in the mood for light supernatural action
audiences curious about divisive reboots
Skip if
you want a fresh reinvention rather than a nostalgia remix
you dislike loud, effects-driven comedies
you are mainly seeking the charm of the 1984 original
you prefer tightly written comedy over riff-heavy chaos
Overview
Ghostbusters is less a disaster than a very visible compromise: a studio reboot trying to honor a beloved brand while also functioning as a contemporary ensemble comedy. That tension gives it energy, but also keeps it from feeling effortless. The movie is at its best when it lets the cast bounce off one another and leans into the absurdity of paranormal problem-solving in Manhattan.
Worth noting
The humor is uneven, but the film has real comic muscle, especially in its willingness to be silly, noisy, and a little chaotic. Kate McKinnon’s performance is the standout, and the movie’s best stretches come from the chemistry among the four leads rather than from the mythology or the callbacks.
Bottom line
As a blockbuster, it’s competent and occasionally very funny; as a reboot, it’s always aware of the conversation around it. That makes it more interesting than many franchise revivals, even if it never becomes the definitive version of its own idea.
Top Letterboxd reviews
isabelle ☆ (5★) · 2299 likes
KATE MCKINNON LICKING THE GUN > ALL OF CINEMATIC HISTORY
davidehrlich (2★) · 1366 likes
1. GHOSTBUSTERS, whether good or bad, doesn’t need to be a referendum on female-driven comedies so long as we keep making them anyway.
2. it gives me no pleasure to report that GHOSTBUSTERS is a lazy, uninspired rehash of pre-existing iconography. at a certain point in the movie, the ghostbusters are attacked by their own logo — i sure know how they feel. ironically (in light of the misogyny directed its way), the gender-swap is the only thing this movie… more
Lucy (5★) · 1131 likes
SHE LICKED THE GUN
shannon (3.5★) · 899 likes
the thor/lesbian alliance remains strong
clownhead (5★) · 693 likes
oh yes oh yes oh yes she licked oh yes she licked oh yes she licked the gun the gun the gun the gun the gun oh yes she really fuckin just licked that gun oh yes oh yes oh yes she licked oh yes she licked oh yes she licked the gun the gun the gun the gun the gun oh yes she really fuckin just licked that gun
2022 · Action, Adventure, Comedy · 1h 52m · PG-13 · Curator 1.5/10 (530.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Netflix Standard with Ads
A breezy, star-driven action-comedy with a similar mix of adventure, romance, and studio silliness.