the ghost writer movie review rotten tomatoes

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

The Ghost Writer

R oman Polanski's latest movie happens to be about a public figure, once hugely admired, now disgraced, fearing extradition and prosecution and confined to virtual house arrest in a vacation spot for rich people.

Did the director, when he shot this film, get a chill presentiment of how personal it was all going to look? Maybe. But it didn't stop him making a gripping conspiracy thriller and scabrous political satire, a Manchurian Candidate for the 2010s, as addictive and outrageous as the Robert Harris bestseller on which it's based. Polanski keeps the narrative engine ticking over with a downbeat but compelling throb. This is his most purely enjoyable picture for years, a Hitchcockian nightmare with a persistent, stomach-turning sense of disquiet, brought off with confidence and dash.

His leads are Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan, actors from whom Polanski gets the best by keeping them under control. McGregor is the journo, never named: cynical, boozy and miserable in the classical manner. He makes a living ghostwriting the autobiographies of raddled showbiz veterans. In the current publishing scene, his business is booming, but even he is astonished to be offered the job of ghostwriting the memoirs of the former British prime minister Adam Lang, now living with his formidable wife Ruth (Olivia Williams) in his American publisher's palatial beachfront home. A possible war-crime prosecution for assisting the rendition of terror suspects means Lang may never be able to leave American soil. And his last ghostwriter has been found drowned – an awful fate that resonates, sickeningly, with TV images of waterboarding. Could it be that the dead man discovered something dangerous about the ex-PM and his super-powerful, super-rich American friends?

Resemblances to Tony and Cherie Blair are very far from coincidental: both Harris and Polanski have clearly calculated that a libel lawsuit would make for an uproarious day in court, precisely the sort of legal appearance that Mr Blair does not care to make, in fact or fiction. This consideration adds a kind of meta-pleasure to the narrative.

Brosnan's Lang is an alpha-ego, substantially accustomed to American mega-celebrity status, smugly nurturing his Blairish sense of entitlement and resentment, yet with a weird blankness and smileyness that resurfaces continually: a Brit tendency to ingratiation that he can never quite conquer. As with Harris's novel, part of the enjoyment is gleefully imagining Tony and Cherie, in the parts of Adam and Ruth, pacing around like characters in some reality TV show from hell. Polanski has a terrific scene in which McGregor drives the dead man's car and the sat-nav "remembers" his previous journey and guides him, ghost-like, to a vital clue. The film incidentally gives us the ghost of the late Robin Cook, fictionalised as ex-foreign secretary "Richard Rycart".

The Ghost Writer may not be a masterpiece, but in its lowering gloom (it rains almost continually) the film has some of the malign atmosphere of Polanski's glory days. And there's a wonderful final image of the windblown London street – faintly hyperreal in the manner of Hitchcock's Frenzy – where something horrible has happened behind the camera. This very involving movie shows Polanski is far from finished as a film-maker.

• Roman Polanski
• Berlin film festival
• Ewan McGregor
• Robert Harris

More on this story

Roman Polanski wins best director prize in Berlin

Can Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer outlive Tony Blair?

Roman polanski's the ghost: a world exclusive clip, comments (…), most viewed.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Explaining the News to Our Kids

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

The ghost writer, common sense media reviewers.

Intense, masterful political thriller OK for older teens.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

No injustice will go unnoticed. Eventually the tru

The lead character, the ghost writer, starts off a

A dead man's body washes ashore. Another character

A man sleeps with his married client; his naked ba

A few mentions of "f--k," though most of the swear

Logos for such firms as BMW, Virgin Air and CNN ar

Characters drink, sometimes during social occasion

Parents need to know that this deftly written and directed tale of political intrigue will likely thrill fans of the genre, including older teens. It includes some swearing and brief nudity, and addresses mature subjects such as war crimes and terrorism. Another note: The director, Roman Polanski, is a controversial…

Positive Messages

No injustice will go unnoticed. Eventually the truth will come out, but the movie implies that there is always a cost to telling the hard truths and exposing injustice.

Positive Role Models

The lead character, the ghost writer, starts off as indifferent, but soon becomes committed to uncovering the truth, but no good deed goes unpunished and most everyone seems in on this cruel joke.

Violence & Scariness

A dead man's body washes ashore. Another character is mugged (no weapons flashed, though he's punched). A menacing feel sits over the movie, as a character races to solve the murder of another character. A man is shot.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A man sleeps with his married client; his naked backside is briefly glimpsed in the semi-dark. The couple is seen under the covers with their shoulders bared. A married man is implied to be having an affair with a member of his staff.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

A few mentions of "f--k," though most of the swear words heard here are milder, such as "s--t" and "goddamn."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Logos for such firms as BMW, Virgin Air and CNN are clearly visible in various scenes.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Characters drink, sometimes during social occasions, and others, specifically to drown out sorrows/frustrations. A mention of marijuana use during college.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this deftly written and directed tale of political intrigue will likely thrill fans of the genre, including older teens. It includes some swearing and brief nudity, and addresses mature subjects such as war crimes and terrorism. Another note: The director, Roman Polansk i, is a controversial auteur who is in the news right now. He stands accused of sexually coercing a child many decades ago and leaving the country to avoid prosecution. This movie has nothing to do with his trial and legal situation. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (4)
• Kids say (10)

Based on 4 parent reviews

Greatest Suspenseful Mystery

What's the story.

A British writer ( Ewan MacGregor ) is hired to be ex-Prime Minister Adam Lang's ( Pierce Brosnan ) "ghost," meaning he will be revising the politician's memoirs. The original ghost writer washed up on the shores of Martha's Vineyard, presumably a suicide or the victim of an accidental drowning. Before he even sets foot on the Vineyard estate in which the PM is holed up, MacGregor's character is mugged -- just the beginning of a series of mishaps that grow increasingly fraught with malevolence. Then, Lang is accused of war crimes. Soon after embarking on the project, the new ghost writer discovers untruths, not including the unraveling of the PM's marriage ( Olivia Williams plays the wife), that point to a scandal of international proportions. The writer might just end up like his predecessor.

Is It Any Good?

Despite the length of this unrelenting film, no moment or performance is a waste. THE GHOST WRITER opens with a ferry docking in the gloom of a rainy night. On board, a car is unclaimed, the whereabouts of its driver unknown. And so begins this mind-bending thriller based on a novel by Robert Harris that sheds its skin like the proverbial onion, one engrossing layer at a time. Director Roman Polanski has always been great with atmospherics, and he doesn't disappoint here. For all the complications of his personal life, his filmmaking faculties are clearly intact. He maintains a strong grip on the storytelling, revealing only what's necessary, and exactly at the right time.

MacGregor is superb, a bemused observer who quickly finds himself on shifting earth. Brosnan relishes a role shaded decidedly gray, and Williams is a perfect woman scorned. The supporting cast, crowded with names like Timothy Hutton , Eli Wallach , and Tom Wilkinson , makes the most of their moments. Kim Catrall, almost wholly identified with the Sex and the City franchise, makes you forget she's usually a randy cougar. The ending: Though it may feel too cinematically perfect, it works, and very well.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about what other recourse the ghostwriter has once he finds himself stuck in the middle of a scandal. What else could he have done? How else should he have responded?

What about the political issues brought up by the film? Is what the prime minister accused of actually a war crime?

The director, Roman Polanski, is embroiled in a huge scandal, accused of a crime -- rape -- committed long ago. Should this situation have any bearing on his work? Is his art separate from his private life?

Movie Details

• In theaters : February 19, 2010
• On DVD or streaming : August 2, 2010
• Cast : Ewan McGregor , Kim Cattrall , Olivia Williams , Pierce Brosnan
• Director : Roman Polanski
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Summit Entertainment
• Genre : Thriller
• Run time : 128 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : language, brief nudity/sexuality, some violence and a drug reference
• Last updated : January 9, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

State of Play

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

Thriller Movies

Thriller books for teens.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

The Ghost Writer

A ghost writer, hired to complete the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister, uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy. A ghost writer, hired to complete the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister, uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy. A ghost writer, hired to complete the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister, uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy.

• Roman Polanski
• Robert Harris
• Ewan McGregor
• Pierce Brosnan
• Olivia Williams
• 459 User reviews
• 350 Critic reviews
• 77 Metascore
• 33 wins & 57 nominations

• Rick Ricardelli

• John Maddox
• (as James Belushi)

• Sidney Kroll

• SKY TV Newsreader
• Taxi Driver

• Protection Officer #1

• Protection Officer #2
• Protection Officer #3
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia The end title designer forgot to use punctuation when writing the end credits. This resulted in all assistants being listed as "ass designer" or "ass painter" etc.
• Goofs Ruth's accent changes randomly between very English posh and slightly Estuary (lower-class). This could be a clue that she has had to 'improve' her accent as she has ascended Lang's ladder and finds it difficult, as English people do, to keep up the pretence, especially at times of emotional stress.

Adam Lang : Spare me the bleeding-heart bullshit! Do you know what I'd do if I was in power again? I'd have two queues at airports: one for flights where we'd done no background checks, infringed on no one's civil bloody liberties, used no intelligence gained by torture. And on the other flight we'd do everything we possibly could to make it perfectly safe. And then we'd see which plane the Rycarts of this world would put their bloody kids on! And you can put that in the book!

• Crazy credits There are no opening credits. The title and cast list do not appear until after the last scene of the movie.
• Alternate versions US version was cut for language to secure a PG-13 rating (the usage of the words "fuck" and "shit" was severely toned down).
• Connections Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Valentine's Day/Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief/The Wolfman/Ajami (2010)
• Soundtracks Hatherton Performed by David Majzlin Courtesy of Toy Hanner Music (ASCAP)

User reviews 459

• Jun 28, 2011
• How long is The Ghost Writer? Powered by Alexa
• What is "The Ghost Writer" about?
• Is "The Ghost Writer" based on a book?
• What happened to "The Ghost"?
• March 19, 2010 (United States)
• United Kingdom
• Official Facebook
• Stream Ghost Writer officially on Disney+ Hotstar Indonesia
• Người Chấp Bút
• Peenemünde, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany (as Martha's Vineyard)
• R.P. Productions
• France 2 Cinéma
• Studio Babelsberg
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $45,000,000 (estimated)
• $15,541,549
• Feb 21, 2010
• $60,331,447

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 8 minutes
• Dolby Digital

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

The ghost writer — film review.

In "The Ghost Writer," Roman Polanski most clearly means to evoke Hitchcock. He builds his scenes through ominous music, the rhythms of his editing and a central figure, an innocent, who struggles to gain control of a living nightmare.

By Kirk Honeycutt , The Associated Press October 14, 2010 8:42pm

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Email
• Show additional share options
• Share this article on Linkedin
• Share this article on Pinit
• Share this article on Reddit
• Share this article on Tumblr
• Share this article on Whatsapp
• Share this article on Print
• Share this article on Comment

BERLIN — Roman Polanski is a filmmaker who could envelop an old lady’s stroll along a boulevard with a sense of anxiety and dread, so it’s a little odd that he hasn’t made more thrillers in his career. “The Ghost Writer,” an out-and-out thriller with international politics and war crimes as its background, gives him a springboard to take a deep dive into all the moody atmosphere, breathtaking betrayals, words loaded in double meanings and heart-stopping threats that make the genre so cinematic.

This is certainly one of the director’s most commercial films in a while, perhaps since his great thriller “Chinatown,” although a comparison to that film with its Robert Towne screenplay so rich in early 20th century California social and political history would not serve “The Ghost Writer” well. This is a slicker, shallower exercise. It’s hypnotic as it unfolds, but once the credit roll frees you from its grip, it doesn’t bear close scrutiny.

Related Stories

Meryl streep was "traumatized" watching nicole kidman's emotional scenes in 'big little lies': "never seen anything like that in my life", anne hathaway on how she overcame being a "chronically stressed young woman" in hollywood.

Summit Entertainment has a sure-fire boxoffice hit domestically. The film should do equally well in overseas territories. It didn’t need the publicity boost of Polanski’s well-chronicled legal woes, but one of the peculiarities of our world is that this can only help.

In “The Ghost Writer,” Polanski most clearly means to evoke Hitchcock. Like the master, Polanski builds his scenes through ominous music, the rhythms of his editing, a heightened sense of place and a central figure, an innocent, who struggles to gain control of a living nightmare.

It’s one of the story’s amusing conceits that this figure is a writer. Not an investigative journalist or high-minded novelist, mind you, but a guy who “ghosts” celebrity memoirs. His last one was about a magician.

This time the ghostwriter (Ewan McGregor) hits the jackpot — only he constantly wonders, What have I gotten myself into? The jackpot is a former British prime minister, Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan), and it’s a quick job with a lucrative payday.

He has two reasons to worry. Moments after landing the job, a former cabinet minister accuses Lang of authorizing the illegal rendition of British subjects for torture by the CIA. Secondly, he is the second writer on the job. The first one, Lang’s longtime aide, drowned under suspicious circumstances. Had he stumbled upon a dark secret in Lang’s life that cost him his life?

So the ghostwriter — he is not given a name — confronts a manuscript in sore need of rewriting plus the possibility that it contains a hint of what may have caused its writer’s death. He also confronts an unusual working arrangement.

It seems the ex-PM is holed up in a seaside town on an island off the eastern U.S. The Lang compound has an icy decor and a kind of sterile warmth against wintry weather that pounds the shore with winds and rain. The former British leader is cut off from the world, living in a security bubble with a frosty wife Ruth (Olivia Williams); an aide Amelia (Kim Cattrall), who may be his mistress; and an always present if not oppressive security detail.

The drumbeat from the outside world over the war crimes allegations hits the compound with greater force than the storms, bringing protestors and reporters. The writer struggles to make sense of the small contradictions in his client’s story, mixed signals from his wife and a perceived threat lurking “out there” that never quite reveals itself.

This is not the kind of thriller that requires a lot of action. Rather, unease creeps into every word and deed. The very shape and feng shui of the house’s interiors feel all wrong. Every human being the ghostwriter encounters seems to be dealing from the bottom of the deck.

There is another ghost here too, that of Tony Blair. Lang happens to share many characteristics with the former British PM especially an all-too-cozy relationship with the American president that threatens his legacy. Polanski’s co-writer, Robert Harris, who also wrote the novel on which the script is based, is a political journalist who was once close to Blair.

In the press notes, Harris pleads his work is fiction even as he is quick to point out his connection to Blair and his wife. So he’s having it both ways. So, ultimately, does the film.

McGregor hits all the right notes as a man with a conscience and sense of professional pride who is in way over his head. He’s smart but not too smart and doesn’t always make the right moves. Brosnan gets the politician’s arrogance perfectly as well as the duplicity lurking so close under the surface. Williams nearly steals the show as the wily, controlling wife that senses her control is at last slipping.

The film benefits from cameo appearances from Jim Belushi, Eli Wallach and Tom Wilkinson that propel the anonymous writer’s hasty investigation into his client. Alexandre Desplat’s music prowls around underneath the scenes, channeling Bernard Herrmann’s music for Hitchcock, while Pawel Edelman’s cinematography emphasizes cool colors and a barren seaside landscape.

Venue: Berlin International Film Festival — Competition (Summit Entertainment) Production companies: Summit Entertainment, Alain Sarde and Robert Benmussa present an R.P. Films, France 2 Cinema, Studio Babelsberg, Runteam III Ltd. production Cast: Ewan McGregor, Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams, Pierce Brosnan, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Hutton, Eli Wallach, Robert Pugh, Jim Belushi Director: Roman Polanski Screenwriters: Roman Polanski, Robert Harris Based on the novel by: Robert Harris Producers: Roman Polanski, Robert Benmussa, Alain Sarde, Timothy Burrill Director of photography: Pawel Edelman Production designer: Albrecht Konrad Music: Alexandre Desplat Costume designer: Dinah Collin Editor: Herve de Luze Rated PG-13, 128 minutes

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Meryl streep was “traumatized” watching nicole kidman’s emotional scenes in ‘big little lies’: “never seen anything like that in my life”, ray chan, art director and production designer for marvel films, dies at 56, box office: zendaya’s ‘challengers’ hits target with $15m opening for no. 1 finish, pauly shore says he “was up all night crying” after richard simmons blasted biopic, ethan hawke shares denzel washington’s advice on winning an oscar, ‘kraven the hunter,’ ‘karate kid’ pushed back by sony.

The Ghost Writer

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

In the craptacular month of February, when Hollywood typically drowns us in all-star drool like Valentine’s Day , it’s indecent luck having two films in play directed by indisputable masters. First Scorsese’s Shutter Island , and now Roman Polanski’s The Ghost Writer . The Polish director, currently under house arrest in Switzerland awaiting possible extradition to the U.S. for having unlawful sex with a minor in 1977, is in deep doo-doo. But not, in this critic’s view, as a filmmaker. The Ghost Writer , based on the Robert Harris bestseller, shows Polanski in brilliant command of a political thriller that ties you up in knots of tension while zinging politics and showbiz like two sides of the same toxic coin.

Polanski, who won a 2002 Oscar for the Holocaust-themed The Pianist , is in a playful, prickly mood here that recalls his early work on Rosemary’s Baby and Chinatown . Ewan McGregor grabs and runs with his juiciest role in years as the Ghost, a writer hired to pen the memoirs of Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan), the unseated British prime minister now taking refuge in America after being accused of war crimes back home. Any resemblance between Lang and Tony Blair seems purely intentional, since Harris, who wrote the script with Polanski, is on the record as becoming disillusioned with Blair after the PM allegedly teamed up with President Bush to hand over suspected terrorists for torture by the CIA. One reviewer of Harris’ book cheekily labeled it The Blair Snitch Project .

Like Polanski, Lang is in exile. The former PM is holed up in a Cape Cod beach house with his manipulative wife (Olivia Williams) and an executive assistant (Kim Cattrall) who doubles as his mistress. Don’t be thrown by the Sex and the City star’s Brit accent – she was born in Liverpool. And it’s fun to see Cattrall play covert sexuality for a change of Samantha pace.

The Ghost knows he’s in over his head. His specialty is ghosting for rock stars and other celebs du trash. There’s another chilling detail: The writer who started the book with Lang has been found dead under mysterious circumstances.

Editor’s picks

The 250 greatest guitarists of all time, the 500 greatest albums of all time, the 50 worst decisions in movie history, every awful thing trump has promised to do in a second term.

Since Polanski couldn’t travel outside certain legal jurisdictions, he used Berlin for London and the island of Sylt in the North Sea to fill in for Martha’s Vineyard. But the kick in this sexy, addictive thriller comes in the telling. As the media swarm outside Lang’s beach house, everyone inside feels a trap closing in. No one but Polanski could find the adrenaline rush in such maddening claustrophobia. There are moments when you damn near jump out of your seat as the Ghost snoops around looking for incriminating truth and a chance to have it off with the wife of his subject.

Meet the MVP of 'Shōgun' — Ex-Punk Rocker and Japanese Movie Star Tadanobu Asano

Team trump is ready to lose the supreme court immunity case. they’re celebrating, billie eilish would like to reintroduce herself, russian mercenaries hunt the african warlord america couldn’t catch.

All credit to a finely tuned Bros­nan for packing so much intensity and wayward wit into his scenes with McGregor. Their verbal duels make for a dazzling game of cat-and-mouse.

Polanski’s skill with actors hasn’t waned. Even the smallest roles are expertly played. Timothy Hutton scores as Lang’s American lawyer, and Jim Belushi nails the role of the Ghost’s scandal-hungry publisher. Best of all is Tom Wilkinson as Paul Emmet, a Harvard law professor whom the Ghost believes holds the key to Lang’s links with the CIA. After an action-packed pursuit of the Ghost on a ferry, the movie ends on a note of shocking challenge. You can feel Polanski’s excitement to be working on a film that echoes 1970s classics such as Three Days of the Condor and The Parallax View . Whatever happens to Polanski in real life, his reel life is in excellent shape. The Ghost Writer is one of his diabolical best.

Nicole Kidman Becomes First Australian to Earn AFI Lifetime Achievement Award

• she makes movies better
• By Daniel Kreps

Meet the MVP of 'Shōgun' — Ex-Punk Rocker and Japanese Movie Star Tadanobu Asano

• TOKYO DRIFTER
• By David Fear

What’s the Story Behind the ‘I Told Ya’ T-Shirt in 'Challengers'? 

• Game, Set, Match!
• By Kalia Richardson and Sage Anderson

SZA and Keke Palmer Land Lead Roles in New Issa Rae-Produced Comedy Film

• TriStar Trifecta
• By Larisha Paul

Aaron Sorkin Blames Facebook for Jan. 6 and He's Trying to Write a 'Social Network' Sequel About It

• Drop The 'The'
• By Jon Blistein

Most Popular

Anne hathaway says 'gross' chemistry test in the 2000s required her to make out with 10 guys: that's the 'worst way to do it' and 'now we know better', louvre considers moving mona lisa to underground chamber to end 'public disappointment', 'the lord of the rings' trilogy returning to theaters, remastered and extended, sources gave an update on hugh jackman's 'love life' after fans raised concerns about his well-being, you might also like, post malone turns stagecoach into ’90s/’00s night, and miranda lambert gets ‘fancy’-ful with reba, on fest’s guest-star-studded night 2, abby phillip flows in gold pleated dress by sergio hudson on white house correspondents’ dinner 2024 red carpet, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, ethan hawke knew the risks of directing his daughter maya in ‘wildcat’:  ‘no one wants to see family art’, detroit sets nfl draft attendance record at 2024 event.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

Verify it's you

Please log in.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, a ghost story.

Now streaming on:

I rarely see a movie so original that I want to tell people to just see it without reading any reviews beforehand, including my own. David Lowery ’s “A Ghost Story” is one of those movies. So I’m urging you in the first paragraph of this review to just see it and save this review for later. If you want more information, read on. There are no spoiler warnings after this because as far as I’m concerned, everything I could say about this film would constitute a spoiler.

This tale of a man who dies young and lingers around the property where he and his wife once lived is bound to be one of the most divisive films of the year. I didn’t know anything about it going in, except that its main character was a person who dies and spends the rest of the movie walking around mute, wearing a white sheet with eyeholes cut out of it. The film is a ghost story, in the sense that there’s a ghost in it, but it’s also many other things: a love story, a science fiction-inflected story about time travel and time loops, and a story about loneliness and denial, and the ephemeral nature of the flesh, and the anxiousness that comes from contemplating the end of consciousness (provided there’s no life after death—and what if there isn’t?).

The characters are so archetypal that they don’t have names, just initials. C (played by Casey Affleck ) is a musician who lives with his wife M ( Rooney Mara ) in a small house surrounded by undeveloped property somewhere in the vast flatness of Texas. C dies in a car crash early in the story but continues to linger on as a ghost, silently observing his wife’s grief and her eventual exit from the home they once shared. He stays in the house as new tenants move in, including a single mother ( Liz Franke ) and her two children (Carlos Bermudez and Yasmina Guiterrez) and some young, single people who throw parties with lots of bohemian artist-types. Time keeps moving forward. At a certain point the house gets leveled and replaced by a gigantic luxury condo-hotel type of development. C stays rooted to the spot where he died, as if he’s stuck in the “denial” phase of the grieving process.

The movie’s two most fascinating formal traits are its decision to keep C under the sheet for much of the film’s running time, and the way it moves its story along with hard cuts rather than dissolves, fades-to-black, or other signifiers that a lot of time has passed. The sheet denies the film’s leading man most of the tools he’d normally use to communicate emotion. He must instead approach the character as if he were onstage in a play where gestures are more important than words, and try to convey surprise, sadness or anger by holding his head and shoulders in a particular way, or turning quickly instead of slowly to look at something.

But this opens up a different kind of relationship between character and viewer: we’re projecting ourselves onto C as we might as children playing with dolls or stuffed animals. Simple, powerful emotions can be summoned that way, and it’s those sorts of emotions that are this movie’s specialty. There were many stretches where I was reminded of European art cinema classics like “Stalker” and “ The Passenger ,” which derive much of their power from asking you to commit to staring at the images the film has put in front of you, and think about what they might mean and how you feel about them. There are other times when the film is reminiscent of “ Groundhog Day ,” in its ability to weave guilt, karma, and fear of change into a story that might otherwise have played as a light diversion.

The hard cuts that move us through the story convey the idea that C perceives time differently than we do. In a scene that involves decay, which I won’t describe in too much detail here because it occurs in a context I didn’t expect to encounter, a body becomes a skeleton in a series of cuts that last about 30 seconds. The deeper we get into C’s story, the more Lowery teases our perceptions of time, until by the end he’s got us questioning the idea of singular, linear experience. (“A Ghost Story” would make a great double feature with Shane Carruth ’s “ Primer ” or Richard Linklater ’s “ Boyhood ,” two other Texas films about the perception and experience of time.)

“A Ghost Story” feels bracingly, at times alienatingly new. It’s a movie you can’t be quite sure how to take. There are moments where the movie seems to be handing you keys to interpretation, but I’d caution viewers against looking at such scenes for answers, because they have a rope-a-dope quality—as if they're designed to bait and trap those who would sneer at this kind of movie. In any event, this is a film that's more inclined to ask questions than answer them, much less give life advice. A long monologue by a party guest ( Will Oldham ) about humanity’s doomed attempts to leave traces that last, especially through art, would seem to suggest that a song C writes for M will outlast him, but we have no evidence of that. The film’s presentation of ghosthood as a purgatorial in-between state, inhabited by individuals who refuse to let go of the life they can no longer have, jibes with many Western religions’ ideas about the afterlife, but I don’t think the resolution of C’s story gives us any hope of Heaven; to me it seemed more like a warning to be at peace with the possibility that we may never know the answers to the big questions.

I should admit here that any take I can offer is provisional. I need to see the film a second time to sweep away preconceived notions that might’ve been lingering in my mind during my first viewing of “A Ghost Story.” The movie is so simple in its storytelling and its situations are observed so patiently that the result has a disarming purity, as if Lowery jammed a tap into his subconscious and recorded one of his dreams directly to film. It’s probably the closest that a lot of people are going to get to seeing a late-period silent movie on a big screen—a melodrama that deals in big ideas and obvious symbols, and that puts across fantastical concepts, such a ghost haunting the landscape over a period of decades, by putting a sheet over its leading man and having him walk around slowly and stare blankly at stuff. (Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo shoots the movie in the old-fashioned, square-ish “Academy” ratio, letting us see the rounded edges of the frame; this has a constricting effect, so that we seem to be spying through a keyhole at someone else’s life.)

People either seem to love “A Ghost Story” or hate it, with no in-between. It got mostly very positive notices during festival screenings, but on the eve of its commercial release I’ve found myself arguing with colleagues who think it’s the Emperor’s New Clothes and find it too precious, too sentimental, too much of a one-joke movie, or not enough of one thing or another thing. I loved everything about it, including the scenes I wasn’t sure how to take. I recommend seeing it in a theater because it’s a movie that has as much to say about our perception of time and permanence as it does about love and death. Much of the impact that it has, positive or negative, comes from having to sit there and watch it without interruptions and think about what it’s showing you, and how.

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor at Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

Now playing

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Christy lemire.

Simon Abrams

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead

Peyton robinson.

Food, Inc. 2

Glenn kenny.

Sleeping Dogs

Brian tallerico.

Mary & George

Cristina escobar, film credits.

A Ghost Story (2017)

Rated R for brief language and a disturbing image.

Rooney Mara as M

Casey Affleck as C

Kesha Rose Sebert as Spirit Girl

• David Lowery

Cinematographer

• Andrew Droz Palermo
• Daniel Hart

Latest blog posts

Speed Kills: On the 25th Anniversary of Go

Joanna Arnow Made Her BDSM Comedy for You

The Movies That Underwent Major Changes After Their Festival Premiere

Netflix's Dead Boy Detectives Is A Spinoff Stuck In Limbo

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Challengers Link to Challengers
• I Saw the TV Glow Link to I Saw the TV Glow
• Música Link to Música

New TV Tonight

• The Veil: Season 1
• Hacks: Season 3
• The Tattooist of Auschwitz: Season 1
• A Man in Full: Season 1
• Acapulco: Season 3
• Welcome to Wrexham: Season 3
• John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA: Season 1
• Star Wars: Tales of the Empire: Season 1
• My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman: Season 4.2
• Shardlake: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Shōgun: Season 1
• Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
• Velma: Season 2
• Them: Season 2
• Ripley: Season 1
• Under the Bridge: Season 1
• 3 Body Problem: Season 1
• We Were the Lucky Ones: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1 Link to Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

All Zendaya Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Video Game TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

The Most Anticipated Movies of 2024

Poll: Most Anticipated Movies of May 2024

• Trending on RT
• Most Anticipated TV of May
• Seen on Screen
• Zendaya Movies
• Play Movie Trivia

Ghost Writer

Where to watch.

Rent Ghost Writer on Prime Video, or buy it on Prime Video.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

Kenneth J. Hall

Audrey Landers

Angela Reid

Judy Landers

Billie Blaine

Jeff Conaway

Tom Farrell

Anthony Franciosa

Vincent Carbone

David Doyle

Herb Baxter

More Like This

Critics reviews.

Screen Rant

Disney's pirates of the caribbean replacement sounds better than potc 6 with johnny depp.

Disney may have finally found a suitable Pirates of the Caribbean substitute, and it's a much more exciting prospect than a sixth Johnny Depp film.

• Disney may have found a better replacement than another Johnny Depp-led Pirates movie.
• A Space Mountain film could fill the void left by the declining Pirates franchise.
• Space Mountain can learn from Pirates' mistakes and offer a fresh space adventure.

Disney may have found a replacement for the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and it certainly sounds better than another Johnny Depp-led installment of the franchise. The Pirates of the Caribbean series was a big hit for Disney, with the five films earning a combined box office total of $4.5 billion (via The Numbers ). However, the last movie, Dead Men Tell No Tales , was released seven years ago and in the time since, Disney has struggled to come up with a suitable replacement . Now they may have the answer, and it's a much better prospect than a sixth Pirates film.

Originally based on the popular theme park ride of the same name, the Pirates of the Caribbean movies first started with The Curse of the Black Pearl way back in 2003. The franchise became a showcase for Johnny Depp whose Captain Jack Sparrow has become one of the most recognizable and beloved movie characters of the twenty-first century. A sixth Pirates of the Caribbean movie has been confirmed to be in development, but it doesn't sound half as interesting as another Disney project which could replace the Pirates of the Caribbean films for good.

Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean 6 Plans Still Have A Big Johnny Depp Problem

Disney's space mountain movie can replace its pirates of the caribbean franchise, the studio is in need of a replacement.

After years of being in development hell, Disney's Space Mountain movie recently got a positive update. Writers Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec are said to be working on a new version of the script after previously collaborating on 2021's Cowboy Bebop , as well as the Amazon Prime Video series Citadel and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. While a Space Mountain film is likely still a long way off from coming to fruition , the news that an updated draft of the script is currently in the works demonstrates that Disney is still keen to make it happen.

Martin Landis originally sold a Space Mountain script to Disney way back in 2012.

This is certainly good news. After all, a Space Mountain movie is just the thing Disney needs to fill the Pirates of the Caribbean -shaped hole that has existed ever since the release of P irates 5 . Similarly to the Pirates movies, Space Mountain would take inspiration from the Disney theme park ride of the same name , a space-themed roller-coaster that first opened at Disney World Florida in 1975. Though not all of Disney's previous attraction-based films, such as Jungle Cruise and Tomorrowland , have been successful, Space Mountain 's popularity and cosmic theme mean it has the chance to be a hit.

The Pirates Of The Caribbean Franchise Is Struggling (With Or Without Depp)

The series has been on a downward trend for a while.

Despite being financially successful overall, the Pirates of the Caribbean movies have been on something of a downward trend . With each new installment, the films have performed increasingly worse at the domestic box office ever since 2006's Dead Man's Chest. The worldwide box office totals for each movie tell a slightly different story, but even they show a sharp drop-off with 2017's Dead Men Tell No Tales . There's a good chance that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 will continue this downward trend.

Additionally, the Pirates of the Caribbean films have experienced a notable drop in quality over the years . While 2003's The Curse of the Black Pearl currently holds a fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 80%, Dead Men Tell No Tales is stuck with a rotten score of just 30%. In fact, the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie to accumulate a Rotten Tomatoes higher than 50% was 2006's Dead Man's Chest , which managed 53%.

Ultimately, what both trends indicate is that audiences and critics have grown tired of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise . It's certainly true that, as they went on, the films began to run out of fresh ideas. Johnny Depp played a large role in making the movies the success they once were, but even with his involvement, the franchise started to struggle. It's understood that Depp won't be returning for Pirates of the Caribbean 6 , but even if that ends up changing, the movie has a big challenge on its hands.

Space Mountain Can Use The POTC Franchise As Its Template

It can also learn from its predecessor's mistakes.

The Pirates of the Caribbean movies may have run their course, but the franchise still works as a good template for Space Mountain going forward. At their heart, The Pirates of the Caribbean films are adventure stories , with each installment delivering a new sea-based caper. Space Mountain could essentially copy this formula but with a space setting instead of the sea. Furthermore, if Space Mountain casts a well-known actor as a charming lead character whom audiences can follow from story to story, the movie could prove to be a hit.

Pirates Of The Caribbean 6’s Reboot Plan Can Embrace A Franchise Aspect Not Seen In 21 Years

However, possibly the most important reason why Pirates of the Caribbean is a valuable resource for Space Mountain is because the latter can learn from the former's mistakes. As the series progressed, the Pirates of the Caribbean movies began to repeat ideas and plot points. Almost every installment saw Jack face a new villain with ties to his past. As a result, the films lost a lot of their initial scale and grandeur. A Space Mountain franchise could avoid these pitfalls by striving to keep each entry feeling fresh and not falling back on the same tired tropes.

Source: The Numbers , Rotten Tomatoes

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

*Availability in US

Not available

The Curse of the Black Pearl is the film that kickstarted the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, a series of supernatural swashbuckling adventures. In 1720, blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate "Captain" Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor's daughter Elizabeth Swann, from Jack's former pirate allies, who are now undead.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Challengers Link to Challengers
• I Saw the TV Glow Link to I Saw the TV Glow
• Música Link to Música

New TV Tonight

• The Veil: Season 1
• Hacks: Season 3
• The Tattooist of Auschwitz: Season 1
• A Man in Full: Season 1
• Acapulco: Season 3
• Welcome to Wrexham: Season 3
• John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA: Season 1
• Star Wars: Tales of the Empire: Season 1
• My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman: Season 4.2
• Shardlake: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Shōgun: Season 1
• Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
• Velma: Season 2
• Them: Season 2
• Ripley: Season 1
• Under the Bridge: Season 1
• 3 Body Problem: Season 1
• We Were the Lucky Ones: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1 Link to Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

All Zendaya Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Video Game TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

The Most Anticipated Movies of 2024

Poll: Most Anticipated Movies of May 2024

• Trending on RT
• Most Anticipated TV of May
• Seen on Screen
• Zendaya Movies
• Play Movie Trivia

Season 3 – Ghostwriter

Where to watch, ghostwriter — season 3.

Watch Ghostwriter — Season 3 with a subscription on Apple TV+.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

Princess K. Mapp

Samir Yousef

Daire McLeod

Charli Allen

J.J. Johnson

Executive Producer

Blair Powers

Christin Simms

More Like This

Season info.

Velma's Season 2 Shock Finale Death Finally Gives Series Haters a Reason to Celebrate

Velma has not made many friends in its reworking of the Scooby-Doo franchise, but has redeemed an unexpected character in its gruesome finale.

This articles contains spoilers for Velma Season 2

• Velma's shocking death has unexpectedly brought praise and redemption, sparking intense reactions among fans.
• The mature and dark comedy take on Scooby-Doo excludes the famous Great Dane, offering a fresh and modernized perspective.
• Despite mixed reviews and uncertainty for a third season, Velma 's unexpected twist sets up new possibilities for the series' future.

Velma has finally provided a reason for many social media users to celebrate the divisive series – by killing off its titular character in a horrifying Scrappy-Doo twist. The conclusion of Velma Season 2 has sparked intense reactions among Scooby-Doo fans after bringing the already hated character of Scrappy-Doo into the mix, and having a monstrous version of the pup dispatch Velma in a brutal fashion.

Velma , created by and starring Mindy Kaling, is a very different take on the characters of the Scooby-Doo franchise . A dark comedy that explores the titular character in more detail than any previous entry in the franchise, the series completely excludes the famous Great Dane from proceedings. However, the inclusion of Scrappy-Doo in the show’s second season was unexpected, but also led to the only thing that could possibly generate wide-spread acclaim for the show and the most surprising redemption story in TV history.

*Availability in US

Not available

Mindy Kaling's animated Scooby-Doo prequel will reimagine Velma as a character of East Asian descent in a different world where 'there's no dog and no van.'

Although the death of a title character would usually lead to a fan outpouring of outrage and sadness, the demise of Velma became a reason for celebration for audiences, who flooded social media with their reactions. Additionally, the show has done the unthinkable and provided redemption for the long-ostracized Scrappy-Doo after decades as a hated character himself. Check out some of the responses below.

Can Velma Season 3 Happen Now the Title Character is Dead?

Velma ’s divergence from the classic Scooby-Doo formula has been a point of contention since its debut. Designed as an adult animation, Velma attempted to tap into the popular adult animation market, but ended up being panned in its first season for everything from the race-swapping of almost all of its characters, to the “mean” changes made to their mannerisms. The shift immediately alienated a significant portion of the franchise’s longstanding fans , and those who were not particularly enamored with Scooby-Doo’s history found the humor of the series too harsh or disconnected from the spirit of the original series.

It has been previously suggested that Velma ’s second season was already in production before the first episodes aired. This time around there is a big question mark hanging over whether the show will return for a third season, and exactly how that would work with the lead character now being a ghost.

Velma Season 2 Is 'Not Worth a Hate Watch' According to Rotten Tomatoes Reviews; Debuts With Another Low Score

Obviously, the twist of the ending could set up a completely different kind of story if the show gets the green-light for another season. The real question is whether there will be anyone willing to renew the show for Season 3 considering the continued wave of bad reviews that are still coming in on Rotten Tomatoes . One thing that has become apparent is that there have been significantly fewer reviews in the first days of the show's premiere this time around, suggesting that perhaps the viewership that turned out to “hate-watch” the original season has also lost interest in the show.

While the future of Velma hangs in the balance, the end of its second season has managed to kick-start social media talking about the series again. While the comments are still not exactly complimentary, all publicity is good publicity – so they say.

Velma Seasons 1 & 2 are both available to stream on Max.