A Ghost Story Summary and Review
Ghosts have always been something highly talked about among humans. Despite various claims from people, no one has ever truly proven what ghosts look like. Some think they have features different from humans. Some think they are transparent. Some think that they just look like normal people. One of the more popular ways to represent a ghost has been a simple bed sheet with eyeholes. This is the subject of the new independent drama, A Ghost Story, from director David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Pete’s Dragon).
A Ghost Story is the simple tale of a struggling musician, known to us as C (Casey Affleck), and his wife M (Rooney Mara). When C unexpectedly dies, he comes back as a white-sheeted ghost. His spirit returns to his suburban home, where he attempts to reconnect with the grieving M. However, as the days go by, he discovers the difficulties of the spirit world, and as a ghost, time becomes something different.
I’ve known about this movie since it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. I was immediately on board when I heard that David Lowery was making it (his Pete’s Dragon remake was great), and the idea of a drama starring a man in a bed sheet ghost costume seemed very original. When the first poster and trailer came out, I had high expectations, as both are works of art. The movie, in the end, did not disappoint.
A Ghost Story is an unimaginably beautiful movie. I can’t even begin to describe everything that was brilliant about it. First off, the performances were great. I thought Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara gave the best performances of their careers. They were playing such emotionally complex characters, and they managed to execute them so perfectly. If Affleck hadn’t already won an Academy Award, I would say he has a chance.
The story of the film was also perfect. I thought it was a great idea to use a ghost to tell a story about love and legacies. To quote a minor character in the film, “We build our legacy piece by piece, and maybe the whole world will remember you, or maybe just a couple of people, but you do what you can to make sure you’re still around after you’re gone.” I couldn’t have said it any better. It’s a heartfelt message about trying to make a name for yourself, so that people will remember you long after you’re dead.
I thought this movie had one of the most original ghost designs I’ve ever seen in a movie. I know people have been using the bed sheet design for so long, but to use it in a movie, especially in a drama, was so original. I thought it was very creative of Lowery to use such a simple design for the main subject of the movie. It felt like a breathe of fresh air against all of the creepy designs in most ghost films. Also, to see a guy in a bed sheet in the background was one of the funny things about the movie.
Another thing profound about this movie was it’s dialogue, or rather lack there of. This movie is almost completely silent, with only a few lines of dialogue between a few different characters. When you really get a handle on what this movie is, you realize that it doesn’t need extensive dialogue. The film perfectly conveys everything it’s trying to tell through the body language of the characters.
A Ghost Story is everything I could have wanted it to be and more. It is a true work of art in cinema, and proves that Lowery is a powerful voice in the movie industry. However, if you are someone who is looking for a fun movie to shut your brain off, you might find this movie slow. This is not a horror film; so don’t expect anything scary. But if you are someone who loves movies about life and the forces beyond it, then check this one out.
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