Ghostbusters: Afterlife [2021]. Where is the supernatural there?

Greetings!

I'm a big fan of downloading movies and watching them whenever I'm free because I get busy most of the time. Earlier this year, I downloaded some movies to watch later, and one of them, which I've watched up to 10 times or more yet haven't finished, is Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Interestingly, this movie isn't a series but a single installment, and it's still taking me quite some time to complete.

Criticism

Permit me to share my criticisms before delving into the plot of the movie. As I mentioned, it has taken me a lot of time to complete because of how interesting it has been (at least, to me).
As the title implies, it's a ghost movie, so naturally, I expected a traditional ghost portrayal—the spiritual type we're often made to believe in. However, I ended up seeing a sci-fi ghost—a computerized ghost, one that can be caught and even tortured by a machine. Oops! It felt unbelievable to me to witness such an idea, which made it seem childish, especially since it’s intertwined with a teenage adventure vibe.

The Storyline

The main events began when a single mom and her two kids had issues with their apartment, leaving them with no choice but to move to a farmhouse. This farmhouse belonged to her grandfather, who had passed away. The late grandfather was part of the Ghostbusters team and had locked up his tools in a laboratory that no one had been able to access since his death.

Along the way, the youngest child Phoebe, driven by curiosity and a touch of brilliance, found one of the Ghostbusters' tools. Out of curiosity, he activated the tool, accidentally releasing a ghost. This ghost, depicted as an anime-like figure that rattles and vanishes into thin air, fled into the town. Consequently, the family embarked on a mission to address the chaos that followed.

Perhaps it’s just me, but I was expecting a more traditional portrayal of ghosts—the supernatural kind that can't be seen, caught on camera, or subdued by electrical means. Instead, the entire premise felt somewhat outdated to me.

Nonetheless, my criticism softened a bit when I realized that the movie doesn’t aim to be a serious one with deep meaning. It's somewhat of a comedy, and in many ways, it feels tailored for children. This is evident in the focus on Phoebe and Podcast as the main characters pursuing the ghosts. Their antics were often dramatic and, frankly, quite childish. However, I wouldn't entirely classify it as a children’s movie due to its sci-fi “demonic” elements, which could potentially frighten young viewers, especially if they’re watching alone.

Additionally;

From what I read, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a sequel to the original movies released in 1984 and 1989. Perhaps I should have watched those earlier films to better understand this installment. But what different would it have made? Lol

Despite everything, I would rate it a 3.5/10.

Thanks for reading!

Thumbnail source: Imdb

Trailer source: YouTube

Other photos: Screenshots from my video player