Ghost Game – Movie Review (2/5)

GHOST GAME is a new horror movie where people performing vicious pranks are confronted with a possible real haunting. The concept is interesting but the full story did not work for me. Read our full Ghost Game movie review here!

GHOST GAME is a horror movie with a very intriguing concept as it combines some creepy AF elements. Imagine people wanting to do a prank for their YouTube channel on someone who just moved into the house from The Amityville Horror.

That sounds like a pretty solid plot for a horror movie, right?! Well, I admit I had my hopes up for this one, which may be why I was disappointed that the story did not work for me. The runtime is just 1 hour and 26 minutes, but it felt longer, which is never a good thing.

Continue reading our Ghost Game movie review below. Find it in select theaters on October 18, and on VOD from October 22, 2024.

Creepy people do creepy things

In Ghost Wars, we become familiar with an internet challenge called “Ghost Game”. The purpose is to film a cruel prank; You have to live undetected in a stranger’s home and perform little (mostly innocent) tasks to make the inhabitants think they’re haunted.

Sounds like a cruel prank to me, but then I’ve never been a fan of having a laugh at someone else’s expense. I just don’t like anything happening to someone that I know I would hate to have happen to me. If that makes me boring, then good. I’d rather be a bore than a creep!

Anyway, in this movie, the people taking part in Ghost Wars have their comeuppance as they target an infamous haunted house. While they are supposed to be terrifying others, they also become part of something else; Witnessing a family descending into madness.

Well, that’s most of the official plot, anyway. Whether I feel this is actually the plot of the movie is another thing. Hint: I don’t really as there are twists and turns that lead to a strange focus I can’t really be impressed with.

An awesome subgenre mash-up

First, we meet people who are doing “phrogging” as a game, where they hide in people’s houses and make them think they’re haunted. Next, they do it in a house known for actually being haunted.

As such, Ghost Wars manages to essentially be a mash-up of two iconic horror sub-genres. First, we have a home invasion thriller (via the whole phrogging) and a classic haunted house setup.

To me, this sounds like a terrifying mash-up as it tackles two of my personal favorites. Anything that happens in the supposed (even assumed) safety of your own home, just tends to hit all my horror weak spots.

Well, in theory, anyway.

Watch Ghost Game in select theaters or on VOD

Ghost Game is the second feature film from director Jill Gevargizian. Her feature film debut was the 2020 movie The Stylist which was based on her own 2016 short film. Jill Gevargizian also co-wrote that movie, but she did not write this one.

The screenplay comes from Adam Cesare, who previously wrote the horror-comedy Last Night at Terrace Lanes (2024), which I haven’t watched yet. Of course, the IMDb rating (not that you should ever trust that blindly) is sitting at a rather low 4.3, which isn’t a great indicator.

Ghost Game premiered at Panic Fest 2024 and Jill Gevargizian won the audience award for Best Director. I can’t say I understand this completely except to say that I’m happy for her. And also acknowledge that the story was my big problem with the movie.

In any case, Epic Pictures’ specialty horror label DREAD is releasing the movie and it feels like this is the right home for it. Especially as they also make sure it’s coming out in a limited theatrical run beginning October 18, 2024. Plus will be available on Blu-ray beginning December 10, 2024.

Ghost Game is out on VOD from October 22, 2024.

Details

Director: Jill Gevargizian
Writer: Adam Cesare
Cast: Kia Dorsey, Zaen Haidar, Michael C. Williams, Emily Bennett, Sam Lukowski, Vienna Maas