The next chapter in the original GHOSTBUSTERS universe. When a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind. A film by Jason Reitman, starring Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, and Paul Rudd, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and Sigourney Weaver.

GHOSTBUSTERS: Afterlife serves as a sequel to GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) and GHOSTBUSTERS II (1989). Both were directed by Canadian filmmaker Ivan Reitman, with screenplays written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, who also starred in the films as Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler, respectively.

Development of GHOSTBUSTERS III actually began in 1989, but Bill Murray refused to reprise his role as Peter Venkman. The project was then shelved even though the first two films were commercially successful. GHOSTBUSTERS grossed over $200 million against its $30 million production budget, and GHOSTBUSTERS II grossed over $290 million against its $40 million production budget.

In 2016, Sony attempted to reboot the Ghostbusters franchise with an all-female cast for the Ghostbusters team, setting it in a parallel universe to the original film. Despite positive critical reviews, the film only grossed $229 million on a $144 million budget, making it a commercial failure. Part of this failure stemmed from criticism on social media, with some diehard fans feeling the all-female cast was a gimmick.

In 2019, Canadian-American filmmaker Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman, who directed the first two GHOSTBUSTERS films, was confirmed to direct the sequel. He co-wrote the screenplay with Gil Kenan. Most of the cast from the original films, including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and Annie Potts, reprised their roles. However, Harold Ramis passed away in February 2014, and Rick Moranis declined to return.

32 years after the incident in GHOSTBUSTERS II, Egon Spengler, living in a small town in Oklahoma, captures an entity in a mine and lures another to his nearby farm. He activates the trap but the power fails. Egon is attacked by the entity and dies.

Egon’s estranged daughter Callie (Carrie Coon), receives news that her father, who had been living alone on a farm, died of a heart attack. Just evicted from their Chicago apartment due to overdue rent, Callie decides to take her children, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), to live temporarily at Egon’s farmhouse.

Phoebe discovers the farmhouse is haunted. Later, she brings the ghost trap she found hidden to school, unaware of its true purpose. She shows it to her teacher, Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), who happens to be a diehard Ghostbusters fan. Gary immediately recognizes the trap as genuine. Phoebe, her new friend Podcast (Logan Kim), and Gary attempt to open it, succeeding in releasing Vinz Clortho, one of Gozer the Gozerian’s Sentinels, who then escapes to the mine.

Phoebe learns that her grandfather was Egon Spengler, one of the founding members of the original Ghostbusters. She also discovers the reason Egon moved to this town: he was determined to stop the apocalypse prophesied to happen there.

Essentially, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a love letter to fans of the original films. Some of the gags and references might be difficult to follow for viewers unfamiliar with the first two movies. The cast delivers great performances, bringing back nostalgic elements. Mckenna Grace is particularly impressive as Phoebe, a science-driven character reminiscent of Egon.

Unfortunately, the film lacks new and interesting inventions that would help it feel like a Ghostbusters movie for this era. It feels like they got stuck in the 80s with just better and more extravagant CGI.

GHOSTBUSTERS: Afterlife was originally set for a theatrical release in the United States on 10 July 2020, but its release was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (In the film, you can still see the number 2021, which is supposedly the year of the apocalypse.)

The film was finally released theatrically in the United States on 19 November 2021.