After a 32-year hiatus after the original two movies, not counting the 2016 reboot, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” brings the busting of ghosts to a new setting of Summerville, Oklahoma.

A carefully picked, strong cast, such as Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, and Celeste O’Connor, really helps carry the story; however Paul Rudd, playing summer school teacher Mr. Grooberson, and Mckenna Grace, playing Egon Spengler’s granddaughter, Phoebe, really steal the show. The other cast members turn in good performances but the writing for their characters were not as interesting as Rudd or Grace.

 The writing itself was solid. There were a few moments in the dialogue and/or the delivery that didn’t land but overall it was very well thought out and reflective of the original film from 1984.

The directing is interesting because there isn’t really anything special about it or a signature look. It’s your average action, adventure “ghostbuster” type movie. It doesn’t have any groundbreaking cinematography or soundtrack, but it does hold an 80s feeling the way the camera is placed and how the characters interact which is why the first two movies worked so well. 

The director Jason Reitman, son of original “Ghostbusters” director, Ivan Reitman, had the impossible task of living up to his father’s predecessors but also achieving a new way to tell the story. 

Ivan was on set helping his son direct, seen in behind-the-scenes footage and press interviews shown before the screening. The directing was a perfect mix of modern filmmaking while managing to grasp the magic of the 80s without relying too much on nostalgia.

A 32-year awaited sequel to retcon (delete the past of a movie series) the reboot of the same series is one of the hardest tasks a cast and crew can take on; this movie exceeded expectations in that aspect. It was a stand-alone sequel that paid tribute to the late Harold Ramis and the original cast as they came back at the end of the movie to help save the new characters we fell in love with. This movie was a perfect send-off and taking the after-credits scene into consideration, the door is not closed on the future of “ghost busting” in Manhattan.

Final thoughts/Overall Score: 8/10

Writing: 8/10

Casting: 10/10

Acting: 9/10

Directing: 7/10

Pacing: 7/10

Creativity: 7/10

Soundtrack: 6/10

Character Arcs: 8/10

Animation/CGI: 9/10

As far as sequels go: 10/10

Overhyped?: If anything it’s a little underhyped. It was a great sequel to the original two movies and sends off a beloved character in a respectful way to the actor and actors that worked with him.

Should you watch it?: For sure. It respects the past and embraces the future in a story of legacy both on the screen and behind the scenes.