--- title: "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" year: 2021 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/ghostbusters-afterlife" fi1m_score: 55 critics_score: 54 critics_reviews: 23 published: "2026-09-19T16:06:40.934298+00:00" updated: "2026-09-19T16:06:41.216284+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) Directed by Jason Reitman · 2h 04m · MPA PG-13 · Fantasy, Comedy, Adventure **Fi1m score: 55** · Critics 54 from 23 reviews *In a sentence:* A clever girl, a dead grandfather’s basement, and a film that cannot pass a prop without stopping to salute it > Mckenna Grace and a farmhouse full of old equipment give Jason Reitman’s sequel a first hour worth having. Then the film starts retracing the 1984 original step by step, and a story about a family becomes a guided tour of someone else’s. ## Synopsis Callie (Carrie Coon), broke and freshly evicted, drives her two children to Summerville, Oklahoma, to clear out the farmhouse left by a father she barely knew. Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), fifteen, wants a car and a girl, and finds a wreck under a tarpaulin in the barn and Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) serving at the drive-in diner. Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), twelve, wants to know why the town shakes every afternoon, and finds a basement full of her grandfather’s equipment: a proton pack, a ghost trap, notebooks nobody has read. Her summer-school teacher Grooberson (Paul Rudd) is measuring the earthquakes and recognises the gear when she brings it in. With her classmate Podcast (Logan Kim), Phoebe sets out to work out what the old man was doing in the middle of nowhere for decades. ## Review Jason Reitman directs and, with Gil Kenan, writes a 124-minute sequel to the film his father Ivan Reitman made in 1984; the father produces. The set-up is a good one. A hard-up mother and two children arrive in a dying Oklahoma town to clear out a dead man’s farmhouse, and the younger child works out, piece by piece, what he was for. For about an hour this is a small, likeable film about a clever girl in a place with nothing to do. Then the film remembers whose name is on the poster, and everything after that is a matter of ticking things off. Mckenna Grace is the reason to watch. She plays Phoebe as a child who talks to adults as equals and cannot see why they mind, and she delivers jokes flat, into the middle distance, like someone who has read that jokes help people relax and is testing the theory. It is a performance rather than a cute turn. Carrie Coon gives Callie a tired, funny bitterness, a woman let down by a parent who is not going to pretend otherwise for the children’s sake. Paul Rudd does what he does, which is make a room lighter by standing in it, and his scenes with Coon are the only ones in which two adults seem to enjoy each other’s company. The town is well made. Eric Steelberg shoots Summerville in long, low evening light, a grain elevator, an empty main street, the farmhouse against a flat horizon. François Audouy’s production design fills that house with a lifetime of tinkering: wiring under the floorboards, a basement laboratory, junk in every room that turns out not to be junk. Danny Glicker puts Phoebe in a cut-down flight suit that does not fit her and never quite will. When she takes a proton pack out into a cornfield at night and tries it, we grinned, because for a few minutes the film had found the thing the original had, which is a gadget, a target and a child who is better at this than the grown-ups. Then the second half arrives, and the film stops being about this family and starts following the 1984 film, in ways we will not describe, almost beat for beat. Every recognisable object is introduced with a pause so we can clock it. Rob Simonsen’s score quotes the old themes so often that it stops being music for these scenes and becomes a reminder of other ones. Dana E. Glauberman and Nathan Orloff cut the action cleanly enough, but it is mostly action we have seen before, staged in a smaller place with fewer people watching. There is one properly funny sequence, in which a shelf of small marshmallow men in a supermarket aisle set about torching, skewering and eating one another. We laughed out loud, and then noticed it was the only joke in twenty minutes that did not need us to have seen another film to land. The original was a comedy about three men who found a way to bill New York for its ghosts. This is not a comedy. It is a children’s adventure with jokes at the edges, and when Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver turn up, they are treated as visiting dignitaries rather than as performers with anything to do. The closing minutes reach for a tribute we will not describe, and we felt worked on rather than moved, because the film had spent two hours telling us to feel it and had not done the work. Reitman’s [*Juno*](https://film.one/film/juno) and *Up in the Air* were about people talking in rooms, and he is good at that; the first hour here shows it, with Grace and Coon and Rudd doing the talking. Against the run of films in which suburban children stumble on something enormous, this one has a better lead than most and a more borrowed plot than any. Most critics have split down the middle on it, and so have we. Watch it with a child who has not seen the original. They will enjoy the first hour, and then ask you a great many questions about the second, and the answers will be more interesting than what is on screen. The 12A is about right: a few jumps, no real fright, and nothing a bag of sweets will not settle. *Fi1m score 55, published 19 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews split almost exactly down the middle, and the argument is about how much of the film is its own. Where critics agree is on the cast. Mckenna Grace’s Phoebe is praised across the board, including by reviewers who dislike everything around her, and several single out the pairing of Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd. The warmer notices treat it as a Spielbergian family adventure with more heart than the usual reboot, and Variety has a good word for the practical effects. The reservations cluster around the callbacks. Even positive reviews concede the fan service is heavy; the negative ones, from the Telegraph to the Los Angeles Times, call it a nostalgia exercise with few jokes and nothing at stake. The digital tribute to Harold Ramis divides critics, with Little White Lies finding it manipulative. The spread is wide, from a rave at Deadline to near-dismissal at Vulture, and the early trade reviews are noticeably kinder than the later British ones. ### Reviews we read (23) - **Empire**, Olly Richards (85/100, inferred): Jason Reitman’s film is a thoroughly lovely sequel that captures the feeling of the originals without simply imitating them. It focuses on appealing new characters with strong chemistry and is always fun, inventive and full of charm. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/ghostbusters-afterlife/) - **Radio Times**, Emma Simmonds (4/5): Jason Reitman pitches it just right in this spooky though never scary reboot full of humour and nods to the originals. The result is a warm, nostalgic reboot that's as touching as it is crowd-pleasing, led by strong turns from Coon and Grace. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-q20lrl/ghostbusters-afterlife/) - **IndieWire**, Courtney Howard (B): Reitman revives the flailing franchise with a fresh female-forward spin and clever evolutions of its hallmarks, but it suffers from an over-reliance on its previous life and callbacks. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/ghostbusters-afterlife-review-2-1234670605/) - **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (75/100, inferred): This nostalgic sequel is more progressive than the original and benefits from strong chemistry between Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd. It raises more than the ghost of a smile despite some flat moments in the finale. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/ghostbusters-afterlife-review-movie-finn-wolfhard-mckenna-grace-paul-rudd-b966731.html) - **Variety**, Peter Debruge (75/100, inferred): The film revives the franchise with a fresh jolt of energy, offering fan service alongside a new entry point for younger audiences while honoring its legacy without tarnishing what came before. The critic singles out the practical effects, sight gags like the mini Stay-Puft and the emotional tribute to Harold Ramis. [Read](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/ghostbusters-afterlife-review-1235084741/) - **The Guardian** (70/100, inferred): The film is a feelgood nostalgic remake of the 1980s original that will appeal to fans of a certain age and their children. It succeeds as a Spielbergian family adventure thanks to its score and casting of Finn Wolfhard. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/nov/21/ghostbusters-afterlife-review-jason-reitman-finn-wolfhard) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Sheri Linden (70/100, inferred): The film is a character-driven franchise update with more heart than slime, delivering engaging performances especially from Mckenna Grace as Phoebe and a mix of comedy, coming-of-age elements, and effects. It hits its marks as an origin story while paying tribute to the original and Harold Ramis. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/ghostbusters-afterlife-review-1235028451/) - **Time Out** (3/5): The film is a spirit-lifting return that hits all the old notes with enough heart to rise above average reboots, though the first hour sags and callbacks feel crowbarred in. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/ghostbusters-afterlife-2021) - **The AV Club**, Jesse Hassenger (C): The film is a dispiriting nostalgia exercise that turns the original's loose comedy into a reverent, neo-Spielbergian kid adventure with maximum reverence and minimum comedy, treating the iconography as holy scripture rather than delivering funny dialogue or new energy. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/ghostbusters-afterlife-is-a-dispiriting-nostalgia-exer-1847831687) - **Screen Daily** (50/100, inferred): Reitman’s sequel moves the action to rural Oklahoma and focuses on adolescents but is haunted by self-conscious fan service; a winning performance from Mckenna Grace provides appeal but the film feels like a blatant attempt to reinvest audiences in a bygone blockbuster. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/ghostbusters-afterlife-review/5164129.article) - **The i Paper**, Geoffrey Macnab (45/100, inferred): The film starts promisingly with witty 80s references and strong early scenes but loses charm once the ghostbusting intensifies. Characterisation suffers amid increasingly self-indulgent tributes to the originals. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/ghostbusters-afterlife-review-paul-rudd-carrie-coon-uk-film-cinema-release-1307422) - **Little White Lies**, Hannah Strong (3/2/1): The critic finds the film a misjudged nostalgia overload with a bland script and unrelenting callbacks. It complains of emotional manipulation via digital resurrection of Harold Ramis and lack of chemistry or innovation. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/ghostbusters-afterlife/) - **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (40/100, inferred): The film is a toothless, cuddly play for nostalgia and merch that centers adorable children and cutesy ghosts while delivering easy-watching but frictionless entertainment. The critic singles out the predictable, wide-eyed child performers and cartoonish apparitions engineered for toy shelves. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/18/movies/ghostbusters-afterlife-review.html) - **The Telegraph**, Robbie Collin (2/5): The sequel is spookily drab and fails to take the Ghostbusters brand seriously. Wish-fulfilment is the only move, resulting in drab action, scarce jokes and a characterless town with nothing at stake. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/ghostbusters-afterlife-review-gonna-call-not-guys/) - **Slant Magazine**, Jake Cole (1.5/4): The film dispiritingly peddles nostalgia for its own sake, focusing on hermetically sealed continuity and callbacks rather than balancing comedy and spectacle, turning young heroes into audience surrogates marveling at predecessors. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/ghostbusters-afterlife-review-jason-reitman/) - **The Times** (★★☆☆☆): The film is a shamefully flat mishmash rehash that relocates the action to small-town Oklahoma and serves up cynically uninspired material from an uninspired director. The kids are unaware of the franchise's history in illogical ways. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/ghostbusters-afterlife-review-shamefully-flat-mishmash-rehash-qqpvxt5jq) - **The Independent**, Mark Kennedy (1/4): The film is overly reliant on callbacks to the original and fails to stand on its own. It wastes strong performances and feels like a cynical cash-in. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/carrie-coon-jason-reitman-ghostbusters-cadillac-ivan-reitman-b1959314.html) - **Los Angeles Times**, Roxana Hadadi (20/100, inferred): The reboot is listless, creatively bankrupt and an ouroboros of nostalgia cannibalizing itself, making it an unenjoyable exercise in fealty to the original. The critic singles out the craven mimicking of predecessors, broad performances and reliance on Easter eggs over new ideas or stakes. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-11-18/review-ghostbusters-afterlife-jason-reitman-carrie-coon-paul-rudd) - **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (20/100, inferred): The film is a ghoulish, unengaging Amblin-esque coming-of-age story that obsessively mines the original for props and lines without capturing its spirit, pandering to fans through nostalgia and fan service in a nefarious way. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/ghostbusters-afterlife-is-a-reanimated-corpse.html) - **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Jason Reitman for delivering a smart and fun reinvention of the franchise as a family affair, centering on young characters especially Phoebe. Special effects, the cast led by McKenna Grace, and Reitman's reinvention of his own family legacy are highlighted as strengths. [Read](https://deadline.com/video/ghostbusters-afterlife-review-carrie-coon-finn-wolfhard-mckenna-grace-paul-rudd/) - **Polygon**, Austen Goslin (80/100, inferred): The film is a generational hand-off and nostalgia trip that expands what a Ghostbusters story can be, focusing on new young characters finding their place rather than recapturing the original's team dynamic. It succeeds most with its adolescent adventure elements and strong performances from the young cast, especially Mckenna Grace. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/reviews/22728147/ghostbusters-afterlife-review/) - **The Wrap** (60/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an entertaining sequel-reboot with sharp direction, snappy dialogue and a stellar young cast that carries it, but notes it feels overly familiar and repetitive of the original while serving mainly to set up future entries. The Amblin-esque family adventure elements and McKenna Grace's performance are singled out for praise amid complaints about lack of surprises and heavy nostalgia callbacks. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/ghostbusters-afterlife-film-review-2021-sequel-paul-rudd/) - **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (D-): The critic argues the film misses the original's comedic spirit and irreverence, instead prioritizing fan-service reverence and legacy themes over story or humor. Mckenna Grace's performance as Phoebe stands out as a highlight amid the nostalgia focus. [Read](https://collider.com/ghostbusters-afterlife-review/) ## Details - **Director:** Jason Reitman - **Director:** Jason Reitman - **Writer:** Jason Reitman, Gil Kenan - **Cinematography:** Eric Steelberg - **Editor:** Nathan Orloff, Dana E. Glauberman - **Music:** Rob Simonsen - **Production design:** François Audouy - **Costume design:** Danny Glicker - **Producer:** Patrice Avery, Ivan Reitman - **Cast:** Mckenna Grace as Phoebe; Finn Wolfhard as Trevor; Carrie Coon as Callie; Paul Rudd as Grooberson; Logan Kim as Podcast; Celeste O'Connor as Lucky; Bill Murray as Peter Venkman; Dan Aykroyd as Ray Stantz - **Runtime:** 2h 04m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 19 November 2021 - **Genres:** Fantasy, Comedy, Adventure - **Budget:** $75 million - **Box office:** $204 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnKmAVLC3jU ## Where to watch in the US - Hulu: streaming, uhd - Disney+: add-on, uhd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, uhd - Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-19.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Ghostbusters* (1984), Fi1m 80: The original: three underemployed men, one city, and jokes that do not need footnotes. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ghostbusters.md) - *Super 8* (2011): Small-town children, a Super 8 camera and something in the freight train. - *Attack the Block* (2011), Fi1m 84: South London teenagers versus aliens; funnier, scarier and shorter than most of its genre. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/attack-the-block.md) - *The Iron Giant* (1999), Fi1m 88: A boy, a robot and Cold War Maine, drawn with real feeling and no cynicism. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-iron-giant.md) - *The Spirit of the Beehive* (1973), Fi1m 87: A Spanish girl in a dead village decides a monster is real; quiet and unforgettable. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-spirit-of-the-beehive.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/ghostbusters-afterlife