My Neighbor is a Ghost: A Sweetly Sentimental Supernatural Rom-Com
The 1920s. A curious high school student named Bea (Peyton List) is on a museum tour, her eyes wide with wonder. Disregarding the rules, she ventures into a restricted area where she discovers an ancient green ring. A security guard catches her off guard, and she doesn’t have time to return the precious artifact. As soon as she leaves the museum, she’s struck by a car. Fast forward a century: teenager Cole (Michael Cimino) and his mother move into a new house. Everything would be fine, but a ghost resides in the boy’s room: it’s Bea, stuck in the world of the living.
Peyton List as Bea in “My Neighbor is a Ghost”
Emily Ting’s fantasy film was released on Netflix back in October, its premiere conveniently coinciding with the Halloween season. Now, the film about paranormal love can also be viewed on Amediateka: even though pumpkin spice lattes are no longer trending and snow is falling outside, “My Neighbor is a Ghost” is surprisingly well-suited for a winter evening. This is likely due to the film’s escapist mood, which isn’t overloaded with excessive drama.
Michael Cimino as Cole in “My Neighbor is a Ghost”
A Connection Across Time
Predictably, Cole and Bea grow closer and find kindred spirits in each other. The characters, longing for heartfelt conversations, spend hours talking about everything and nothing. Teenagers from different centuries discover common ground: it turns out they are both music lovers. While Bea is knowledgeable about jazz, Cole lectures his ghostly neighbor on the music of the 20th and 21st centuries: the girl from the past listens with delight to stories about David Bowie and Taylor Swift. These small moments are where the film’s main strength lies: the director doesn’t rush to the climax and focuses on building the connection between the young people.
Michael Cimino as Cole in “My Neighbor is a Ghost”
Exploring Grief and Loss
Despite the genre and premise, Emily Ting’s film is less a love story and more an exploration of grief. Cole is grieving the death of his father, with whom he obviously had a warm relationship. The boy’s life is divided into before and after, and he still finds it difficult to let go of the past and, as befits a teenager, to rejoice in life and enjoy carelessness. Communicating with the ghostly girl distracts him from the nagging pain inside and helps Cole accept the transience of existence: after all, Bea also died, which means that one day he will have to say goodbye to the lady in the vintage dress (by the way, the resolution of Bea’s storyline is not exactly unexpected or inventive, but a rather nice twist). Don’t get me wrong, this is still a sugary rom-com with predictable moves, but reflections on farewells and grief add extra facets to the film.
Nostalgia for the Roaring Twenties
Since Bea is a young lady from the 1920s, the film often delves into a nostalgic whirlpool. It’s not just about the main character’s outfit. For example, in one scene, Cole takes his friend to a themed party in the style of the Roaring Twenties. Add to all this conversations about “The Great Gatsby” – in general, there is enough appropriate entourage. However, viewers may get the feeling that the authors could have focused on the clash of two worlds and the cultural shock of the guest from the past. Overall, Emily Ting has created an optional film with supernatural elements, curses, and lyrical musical interludes. “My Neighbor is a Ghost” will not be on the lists of the best, it will be lost among the bright representatives of the genre, and this is perfectly normal. In the end, it’s just a pleasant find for the evening, which you watch out of the corner of your eye.