We Have a Ghost: A refreshing ghost tale that deals with sensitive themes

We Have a Ghost is adapted from Ernest, a 2017 short story by Geoff Manaugh. Though categorised as a horror comedy, Christopher Landon’s goofy ghost film tells an endearing tale with much heart at the centre of it. It is as refreshingly funny as it intends to be while exploring the complex dynamics of a father-son relationship, success and failure, empathy, past trauma and what the meaning of an authentic apparition translates to in the age of social media. David Harbour’s wordless performance as the titular character is quite something, possibly being the film's highlight. What he is unable to convey in conversation, he makes up with facial expressions. The deep pain of a forgotten life is writ large on his face throughout We Have a Ghost. The workable and often worthy gags never for a minute draw attention away from the apparition’s past and mystery surrounding his lived existence. 

Director: Christopher Landon 

Cast: Jahi Di' Allo Winston, David Harbour, Anthony Mackie, Tig Notaro, Erica Ash,
Isabella Russo, Jennifer Coolidge

Lead character Kevin (Jahi Di'Allo Winston) is the ideal person to empathise with Ernest, the ghost. Both are somewhat introverted, thinking individuals who don’t quite fit in. Ernest soon becomes a social media sensation, with Kevin’s father bent on the presumption that the family’s newfound fame is their ticket to a better life. The bond between the middle-aged ghost and the teenage boy remains unchanged throughout this. Kevin’s primary aim is to understand why Ernest is still stuck in this world, and what it will take to set him free.

A black family of four moves into a large house with a surprisingly low property value. The realtor attempts to assuage their scepticism by saying it’s a buyer’s market. The Presleys comprise Frank (Anthony Mackie), Melanie (Erica Ash) and their two sons – the older Fulton and the younger Kevin. Minor tensions are brewing between the father and the younger boy. The former fails to understand Kevin and what drives his withdrawn nature. The family has fallen on some hard times and Kevin hopes that this latest move will lead to a fresh start. While wandering the attic of the cavernous house, Kevin notices and records a middle-aged white man wearing an ochre shirt appearing out of thin air. The entity tries hard to scare him with grunting sounds and wild gesticulation. Much to the apparition’s dismay, this only ends up amusing the precocious teenager. 

The two soon warm to one another. The ghost Ernest (as his shirt suggests) can appear and disappear as he pleases, walk through solid objects, and touch people physically (though they cannot do the same) but does not possess the ability to speak. Kevin initially wishes to keep the discovery a secret, but his brother and father get wind of it. They go from sceptics to believers quickly when he requests Ernest’s presence. Seeing this as their big break, Frank takes it upon himself to introduce the ghost in his house to the rest of the world. It creates a social media storm, with an ex-CIA officer exhibiting a keen interest in the goings-on.

We Have a Ghost succeeds in presenting a seemingly formulaic genre narrative in a genuinely appealing way. Beneath the humour and frenzy of the apparition story is a sensitive take on family dynamics, trauma and being at peace. The film touches upon a complicated relationship between Frank and Kevin, who are often at odds. Ernest and Kevin understand each other well, even though the former cannot speak. 

This emotional bond between a teenager and a middle-aged dead man with an unknown past epitomises everything the story stands for. Even as Frank monetises Ernest’s fame, Kevin turns to his new friend’s old life for answers. His goal is to see Ernest at peace, to see him free in every which way. The film scores points in the writing and acting department. David Harbour and Jahi Di'Allo Winston head a cast that makes a great fist of it. For the former to pull off a challenging role as this with no dialogue says much about the man’s ability, emotive or otherwise. There is something rather identifiable about Kevin, and we have Jahi Di'Allo Winston to thank for that authentic performance. While We Have a Ghost uses popular tropes (fake mediums, social media celebrity and so on) to elicit more than its fair share of laughs, it doesn’t shy away from delving into sensitive, thought-provoking territory. It may get a tad melodramatic now and then (and understandably so), but there is no denying how engaging this feel-good film is for the most part.