Ghosted

Everyone has been ghosted in their life, and not a single soul likes it. Luckily, the new blockbuster movie on Apple by the same name is a lot better.

Before I get into the review, I should acknowledge that I will probably be in the minority here, because I imagine critics will despise this thing– but I’ll address that at the end. Let’s start with the good stuff.

First of all, Chris Evans is the man. It’s a small miracle that the actor who embodies Captain America can convince an audience that he’s a small-town farmer who is afraid to leave the country. The fact that Evans is able to pull this off even for a few moments is incredibly impressive. Sure, eventually he takes down the top bounty hunters from around the world quite easily (did he mention that he was a high school wrestler?) but then he’s right back to hamming it up about Aztec agriculture and travel vouchers.

On top of that, the whole cast seems to understand the idea of the story, and they execute this action rom-com perfectly. Ana de Armas knocks it out of the park (like always), plus Adrien Brody walks a fine line by being very funny, while also making a decent case to be the French bad guy in every future spy movie. Not to mention some scene-stealing lines from Amy Sedaris, Tate Donovan, and Tim Blake Nelson as the creepiest bug torturing dude ever. One-dimensional maybe, but just fantastic characters all around.

I think this movie is great because it knows what it’s trying to be, and it executes that plan. The plot sounds like a silly, action-packed two hours. Guess what? Watching this movie was a silly, action-packed two hours. Sure, it takes a moment (or two) to get going. But once the story finds its footing, I had so much fun. There really isn’t much to say besides that– quite simply, this movie is fun.

Before I end this review, a shoutout to the stellar soundtrack (featuring lots of Dua Lipa) and the multiple ridiculous cameos. I won’t spoil them, but if anyone ever asks how long a cameo should be, who the cameo should feature, and what scenes are natural for a cameo, this movie should be pointed to as the example. They fit the mood, they were funny, and (except for the last one) they felt very natural. They enhanced the experience, instead of distracting and taking away.

Now, why are people going to dislike this movie? Three reasons. First, there’s something off between Evans and de Armas. As great as they are solo and while fighting, they don’t have a very natural back-and-forth. Second, people are going to point to how dumb the idea of this story is. Third, they won’t like the cheesiness or will say Evans’ character is creepy. Here’s how I would respond:

I acknowledge the first point, and admit that’s the weak spot of the movie. As for the second two? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This movie is not serious. It’s not world-changing. It’s just fun! And sometimes, that’s ok. I understand this film isn’t for everyone, but I had a good time watching it. When it comes to being ghosted, Ghosted the movie is a remarkable improvement on the experience.