A Ghost Story (2017, dir. David Lowery)

There are some things to like about A Ghost Story. It is decidedly minimal and refuses to let viewers understand the mechanics of life after death; and it is decidedly prototypical in when dealing with its (living) main characters (no full names, no back stories). It jumps between sad, long shots and jokey, cartoon aesthetics kinda effortlessly. All the while, the movie remains borderline fun—probably even for kids—without seeming tired or overproduced.

Still, I ended up feeling put off by the archetypal, sentimental, kitsch-storybook coat of paint. I am normally a sucker for slow, sprawling scenes, but the personality behind these ones seemed missing. I could make out some of the attention to detail put into the script, but the film did not carry a perspective of any kind. As Affleck’s ghost observes his world with new eyes, I pretty quickly stopped giving a shit about the shellish humans he found so intriguing. Just cross over already, loser.