A Ghost Story

[Yep, this is going to be another one of those reviews. One where I urge you not to see the trailer, not to read a plot synopsis. You just need to see this film, as soon as possible. Trust me.]


A Ghost Story may have been one of the riskiest films for an established director to make. David Lowery, fresh from directing last year's remake of Pete's Dragon, returned to his indie roots to make a film featuring Casey Affleck walking around under a sheet 90% of the time and Rooney Mara eating a whole pie, uninterrupted, for 5 minutes. This could have been the death knell of his career. 

It actually turns out to be the complete opposite. This may in fact be Lowery's defining work. He has crafted a film so potent, so powerful, so overwhelming that it's subheading should be Existential Crisis: The Movie. Its deep probing of mortality, humanity's response to grief and the bleakness of the human life cycle may hold similarities with much of Terrence Malick's work, particularly the Tree of Life, but this is an entirely different journey and had a far greater effect on me than I could ever have anticipated.


The reason this is my shortest ever review (probably?) is simply because the less you know, the better. I only want to touch on the genius of Lowery's film, highlighting select details such as the fantastic use of the unusual aspect ratio that holds several purposes, Mara and Affleck's perfect performances and the stunning soundtrack from long time collaborator Daniel Hart (including a beautiful track from Hart's indie band Dark Rooms) that ties together many of the sequences.

So, let me level with you: I can't tell you how good A Ghost Story really is without ruining the whole (life changing) experience. What I can say is I've never been quite so affected by a film, so absolutely shaken and stunned. It's one of those things that may just change your outlook on life for ever. See. This. Film.