Ghostedis the latest action-centric romantic comedy from Apple TV+, a studio that certainly knows how to assemble a fairly impressive team of storytellers. The film was directed byRocketmanfilmmaker Dexter Fletcher, and written byDeadpoolscribes Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese. The film follows the lonely florist Cole Turner (Chris Evans) in the aftermath of his recent breakup. After Cole falls in love with the enigmatic customer Sadie Rhodes (Ana de Armas), he subsequently discovers that she’s an undercover spy working on an international case. Cole is then thrust into a world of action, espionage, and danger that he’s completely ill-equipped for.
Nothing about the set-up forGhostedis bad, but somehow every level of the production feels cheap, generic, and without energy. It’s one of the most cynical releases in recent memory, and shows that streaming services simply don’t put a lot of value into buzzy projects if they have famous names attached to them.Fletcher even admittedthat he had to cut back on his original ideas to fit the parameters of streaming. Critics were not kind toGhosted;IndieWireclaimed that the film “has no interest in anything more than a casual relationship with its audience.” While there are certainly many bad movies that have emerged within the streaming era,Ghostedrepresents a new low.
It’s shocking thatGhostedcame from the same creative team behindDeadpool, because the storytelling is so bland that it seems like the sort of movie that the “Merc With A Mouth” would make fun of. There’s simply nothing inGhostedthat the viewer hasn’t seen before, and it doesn’t even try to reinvent the concept in any interesting ways. Even films that are clearly based on older classics can take them in a new direction; recently,The Lost Citybasically recreated the premise ofRomancing the Stonewith a modern perspective, andSpeedis still entertaining despite its similarities toDie Hard. However, anyone that has seen a fewAlfred Hitchcock classicsand spy comedies can probably predict exactly howGhostedis going to play out from the moment it begins.
Fletcher’s comments about having to change his original vision to match streaming parameters make sense considering the lack of specificity in the film. It’s not surprising that the film was produced by Apple, because it looks like it was shot in the same background used for an iPhone commercial. Even though the production clearly had a high budget and was shot in many expensive locations, there’s nothing that makes any of them standout. Inventive cinematography doesn’t require shooting in exotic locations; many of the most creatively shot films are low budget productions. Even thoughGhostedwas put together by a major studio, it forgets this very basic rule of storytelling.
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The lack of great action sequences is also a shocking flaw withinGhosted. Both Evans and de Armas are terrific action stars; even outside of his role as Steve Rogers, Evans has proven to be a great action hero inSnowpiercer,The Losers,and theFantastic Fourfilms. He’s clearly capable of doing intense stunt work. Similarly, de Armas really showed her capabilities during her great appearance in the James Bond filmNo Time to Die, and there’s a lot of anticipation for her upcoming role in theJohn Wickspinoff filmBallerinafrom director Len Wiseman. It’s a shame that these two weren’t given the opportunity to utilize their talent.
Storytelling That Presents No Risks
What’s most alarming aboutGhostedis the shocking lack of chemistry betweende Armas and Evans; even though the two played off each other brilliantly in the murder mystery comedyKnives Out, there’s never any reason to invest in their relationship. Perhaps this is due to the shallow writing; there’s nothing that the audience learns about Sadie’s history in the field that would make them care about her more, and Owen’s obsessive qualities are never truly explored. The film is so lazy in its storytelling that they simply have nothing to work with.
Unfortunately,Ghostedpairs these two against each other in a way that is similar to last summer’sThe Gray Man, another expensive streaming movie that failed to live up to the hype. Evans’ performance was simply a replication of John Travolta inFace/Off, and de Armas was given a fraction of the material that she had inNo Time to Die. These two have elevated mediocre movies in the past with their charisma. Even though Marvel fans tend to look back negatively on theFantastic Fourfilms, Evans’ role as Johnny Storm has received a lot of support. Similarly, mediocre films likeHands of StoneandWar Dogswere made much more compelling thanks to de Armas’ work. Sadly,Ghosted’s lack of risks gives the story no stakes; not even a villainous performance from Adrien Brody is able to make it more exciting.
Related:Chris Evans Likes Being Saved By Ana de Armas in Ghosted
Pointless Product Placement and Cameos
While Apple TV+ has produced many excellent films likeBest Picture-winnerCODA,Ghostedfeatures so much product placement for Apple products that it’s simply overwhelming. While there are many movies that feature corporate tie-ins and appearances from new products, they’re usually something that movie buffs can ignore. However, the quantity of iPhones and smart devices inGhostedis so glaring that it’s hard not to notice; it doesn’t help that Owen is constantly on his phone messaging away, and even spies with high-tech technology like Sadie use Apple products.
The film also has many cameo appearances from other famous actors, which aren’t cleverly inserted in the slightest. The filmmakers seem to think that simply casting a well-known actor for a brief role is a joke in itself, as there’s nothing specific about these cameos that contributes to the narrative. It’s such a lazy way to try and grab the audience’s attention that it completely takes the viewer out of the experience; then again, there’s nothing else immersive about the film, so perhaps that’s not a bad thing.
