Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
    Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 But Why Tho 10

    Spider-Man Is Coming To Magic And It’s Just Like The Comics

    08/29/2025
    Star Wars Visions Volume 3 Black

    ‘Black’ Sets The Tone For A Bold New Mixtape In ‘Star Wars Visions: Volume 3’

    08/28/2025
    Olivia Colman in The Roses

    ‘The Roses’ Is A Reimagining, Not A Remake, And That’s Why It Works So Well

    08/27/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Loving, If Not Slightly Silly, Homage

REVIEW: ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Loving, If Not Slightly Silly, Homage

Cait KennedyBy Cait Kennedy11/18/20214 Mins ReadUpdated:04/02/2025
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

As Don Draper famously quoted, “Nostalgia – it’s delicate, but potent.” In the realm of popular IP and the drive to squeeze every drop of productivity out of it, nostalgia walks a tightrope of joyful homage above the ever-present threat of heavy-handed fan service. Ghostbusters: Afterlife strides boldly into the choppy waters of Ghostbusters fandom – introducing a new generation of heroes without straying too far from the beloved blueprint of the original. The result: Not so shabby.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife stars Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Logan Kim, and Celeste O’Connor, with Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd. The film is lovingly directed by Jason Reitman, who shares writing credits with Gil Kenan and Dan Aykroyd. In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, a struggling single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town to claim the “last resort” legacy of their estranged grandfather. Picking up the pieces of their lives, young Phoebe and Trevor look for belonging in their new home, unravel the mysteries of their grandfather, and uncover a supernatural phenomenon.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Getting right to the heart of it all: Ghostbusters: Afterlife is self-described as the “greatest Easter egg hunt of all time” and for good reason. The bread and butter of the film are those chest-swelling moments when the audience sees ECTO-1 again, recognizes a detail, hears the subtle playful nod in the score, and reconnects to the original characters that are so adored. It’s absolutely accurate to say that Afterlife leans heavily into the fandom – however, that’s not all that film does.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is self-described as the “greatest Easter egg hunt of all time” and for good reason.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife - Paul Rudd and Kids

Ghostbusters: Afterlife sets a sincere and resonant tone in its exploration of a family that is seeking stability and foundation. A mother tries her best to be present for her kids in a way that her father never was. Two outcasts find themselves through friendship and uncovering the past. Mckenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard deliver a wonderful balance of innocence, adolescence, humor, and heart that adds an anchor of emotion to the film’s bizarre circumstances and silly moments.

Where the film begins to stumble is when it gets distracted by its own desire to pay homage. As stated previously, Ghostbusters: Afterlife starts out with a tone and a story that is completely unique and deceptively polished. Nods to the original Ghostbusters are subtler and more thoughtfully spaced, big buildups swelling to larger emotional payoffs. In the later acts of the film, attempts to recreate iconic comedic moments go off the current track and crash into the realm of silliness. Is that silliness to the ultimate detriment of Ghostbusters: Afterlife? It depends.

On the one hand, it’s disappointing to see Ghostbusters: Afterlife confidently and competently establishing itself with a unique tone and humor only to reach the end of its leash and be jerked back into familiar, fan service territory. On the other hand, these asides are lovingly created by fans and for fans and are just as likely to delight as they are to distract. Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a film whose reception will rely entirely on what a particular fan is looking for. No more, no less, and for better or for worse.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a film whose reception will rely entirely on what a particular fan is looking for.

I won’t venture far into the weeds, to compare this film to the more controversial (frothing at the mouth, for some) 2016 reboot. What I will say is that what separates Ghostbusters: Afterlife from that iteration is that it feels like both an introduction and a proper goodbye. Yes, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is treading new ground and introducing a new set of characters with a new direction. But the film acknowledges itself as a changing of the guard, a passing of the baton. For original fans, the closure is satisfying.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is made for the most loyal fans of the original film. That homage straddles the line between lovingly restrained and ridiculously uncapped, but the film is consistently entertaining. A wonderful choice for families and a clear direction that this critic is ready to follow.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is available for streaming on Starz and Prime Video.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife
  • 6.5/10
    Rating - 6.5/10
6.5/10

TL;DR

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is made for the most loyal fans of the original film. That homage straddles the line between lovingly restrained and ridiculously uncapped, but the film is consistently entertaining. A wonderful choice for families and a clear direction that this critic is ready to follow.

  • Grab Your Tickets

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleDr. Brain Webtoon Launches Exclusively on Tapas in English
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Platinum End,’ Episode 7 – “Tower of Nightmare”
Cait Kennedy
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)

Caitlin is a sweater enthusiast, film critic, and lean, mean writing machine based in Austin, TX. Her love of film began with being shown Rosemary’s Baby at a particularly impressionable age and she’s been hooked ever since. She loves a good bourbon and hates people who talk in movies. Caitlin has been writing since 2014 and you can find her work on Film Inquiry, The Financial Diet, Nightmarish Conjurings, and many others. Follow her on Twitter at @CaitDoes.

Related Posts

Choi Gyu-ri, Shin Eun-Soo in Love Untangled
7.5

REVIEW: ‘Love Untangled’ Is Just Adorable

08/31/2025
Austin Butler in Caught Stealing
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Caught Stealing’ Marks An Exciting Pivot for Darren Aronofsky

08/27/2025
Margaret Qualley stars as Honey O' Donahue in the film Honey Don't
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Honey Don’t!’ Is A Genius Work Of Subversion And Fantasy Fulfillment

08/25/2025
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Roses But Why Tho
5.0

 REVIEW: ‘The Roses’ Lacks A Thorny Edge

08/25/2025
Mert Ramazan Demir in Abandoned Man
6.5

REVIEW: ‘Abandoned Man’ Lacks Depth In Its Take On Betrayal

08/22/2025
Ne Zha 2 promotional still from a24
10.0

REVIEW: ‘Ne Zha 2’ Is One Of The Most Epic Feats Of Animation

08/21/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Cosmic Spider-Man card details Features

[EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

By Kate Sánchez09/02/2025Updated:09/02/2025

An exclusive look at a new 5-Color Spider entering Magic: The Gathering’s Spider-Man set, and Cosmic Spider-Man is going to be a tough one to take on.

Hololive EN at Radio City Music Hall Events

Hololive EN At Radio City Music Hall Was A Pure Expression Of Fandom

By Adrian Ruiz08/31/2025Updated:09/03/2025

Hololive EN turned Radio City in New York City into the pure expression of fandom: chants, penlights, and community in perfect sync.

Karl Anthony Towns in NBA 2k26 But Why Tho
8.5
PS5

REVIEW: ‘NBA 2K26’ Brings Basketball To Life

By Kyle Foley09/03/2025

NBA 2K26 combines improved visuals with some important tweaks to keep the series feeling fresh in the latest yearly release.

Cronos: The New Dawn Nest
8.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Cronos: The New Dawn’ Does Post-Apocalyptic Psychological Horror Right

By Mick Abrahamson09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

While not particularly sacry, Cronos: The New Dawn is a lot of fun as a survival horror that puts you in the futuristic armor of the Traveler.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here