Review: A Ghost Story

I’ll bet you've never thought about a haunted house from the perspective of a ghost before. This quirky movie takes the familiar notion of ghosts, and flips it on its head. A Ghost Story doesn't slip so easily into a defined genre. At one moment it feels like a romance and the next it plays like a Sci-fi movie. The film is altogether different. Just when you begin to think you understand what's happening, the rug is swept out from under you. But that's part of the fun.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot so I'll keep it vague. This is a film that is better experienced than discussed. At the beginning of the film we follow our main characters, a married couple. They aren't even given full names. They are referred to as "C" (played by Casey Affleck) and "M" (played by Rooney Mara) throughout, but that doesn’t prevent us from connecting with them. It’s existential and the simplicity of the characters and the dialogue help reinforce that and give us an opportunity to reflect on the existential questions it poses.

The film is meant to ask more questions than answer any. In an interview with David Lowry, the director, he said the script was a mere 30 pages and was even parsed down after that. Given that a typical screenplay ranges from 120-150 pages, you can get a sense of just how simple this movie is.

The visuals compensate for the lack of action and dialogue. The scenery is stunning, yet simple and it helps us to wrestle with the meaning behind each scene. The main character spends the majority of the film under a sheet, but everything from the movements of our ghost to the long takes is intentional. Even the presentation is unique. The frame is cropped on either side with a square orientation and filter to help it feel classic and yet fresh all at the same time.

If you're a horror movie buff and expecting a traditional scary movie, you won't quite get that, but fear not. The film still carries some traditional horror movie tropes with spooky music and slow camera pans that make you wonder what's lurking around the corner. But like most good horror, it has a touch of humor too.

As you've probably guessed this film is multi-dimensional and not your typical movie-going experience. I myself wrestled with whether I really liked it immediately afterwards. It wasn't until I was able to digest and reflect on the film that I realized I really loved it.

Whether you see this movie out of curiosity, or you're a genuine indie film buff, I think this film has a little something for everyone, even if it's just to stretch yourself and see something that you wouldn't normally gravitate towards.