Film

We Have a Ghost

Name: We Have a Ghost
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Released: 2023
Cast: David Harbour, Jahi Di'Allo Winston, Anthony Mackie, Erica Ash, Niles Fitch

Urban fantasy

A gently haunted family comedy where a teenage boy befriends the ghost of a man trapped in his new house. It's warm-hearted and playful, funny without being mean, and genuinely invested in its characters' emotional lives. Perfect for anyone who wants something that makes you smile rather than jump, and doesn't demand you check your brain at the door.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like a goofy supernatural comedy where the ghost is the most sincere character in the room and the jokes come from earnest people who cannot quite read the room.

Skip it if you want real scares, since the film is a soft, loose caper with a long runtime and a plot that drifts into spy-movie chases.

What it asks of you: Around two hours and seven minutes, with a loose, wandering shape, many comic beats, and little patience for slow dread.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Poltergeist1982

The DNA of all haunted-house films. Spielberg's mix of genuine scares and family warmth at the centre shows what happens when a ghost story actually cares about the people involved, not just the spectacle.

But The special effects haven't aged as kindly as the heart has. And it's genuinely frightening in places—this isn't comforting viewing.

Ghostbusters1984

The gold standard for comedy-horror balance. Four charismatic people, absurd premises played straight, and a genuine sense of fun. If you want proof that funny and eerie can coexist, this is it.

But Some of the humour lands differently now. And despite the comedy, the actual ghosts are unsettling—it won't be as light as you might expect.

The Haunted Mansion2003

A Disney film that trusts its audience to enjoy the macabre alongside the laughs. It's sincere about both tones and doesn't wink at its own silliness, which is precisely why it works.

But It's a theme-park ride movie, which means some plot logic goes out the window. And it's notably less sophisticated than We Have a Ghost.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from We Have a Ghost

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

A Ghost Story2017

Both films centre a ghost as a vehicle for exploring human connection and the stories we need to tell. But where We Have a Ghost is warmth and joy, this is depths and grief—the same form, opposite registers.

A heartbreaking meditation on grief, time, and what we leave behind. It uses the ghost story form to ask profound questions about meaning and memory. Casey Affleck's performance under a sheet is devastating.

But It's a slow-burn existential drama, not a comedy. Watching someone process loss for two hours in near-silence is beautiful but emotionally demanding.

Casper1995

Exactly the same emotional centre—a lonely ghost and a compassionate living person connecting across impossible boundaries. It's sentimental without being saccharine, and surprisingly moving.

But The sentimentality might feel heavy-handed to some. The effects are obvious products of their era, though the film knows this doesn't matter.

Blithe Spirit2020

A more adult comedy about cohabiting with a ghost. Charming, clever, and interested in actual character dynamics. Dan Stevens is terrific, and the tone walks the tightrope beautifully.

But It's far less kinetic than We Have a Ghost, and less emotionally direct. The wit sometimes overshadows the warmth.

Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular2003

A Halloween special that somehow achieves what so few do: it's genuinely witty for adults while remaining totally accessible to kids. The spirit of it matches We Have a Ghost exactly.

But It's very deliberately a made-for-TV production. The whimsy is cranked quite high, which won't be everyone's register.

Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular poster

Hubie Halloween2020

A Halloween comedy about belonging and misfits that's genuinely kind-hearted. It doesn't mock its characters for being unusual, and there's real warmth underneath the scares and jokes.

But Adam Sandler's affectations won't work for everyone. It's very broad in places, and quite sentimental, which might feel saccharine depending on your tolerance.

The Frighteners1996

Peter Jackson's love letter to horror-comedy, bursting with invention and genuine scares. Michael J. Fox is perfect, and the film respects both sides of its genre equally.

But It's messy, occasionally tries too hard, and the tonal shifts are aggressive. Some of the jokes land better in memory than in the moment.

Over the Garden Wall2014

Both explore the bond between an older and younger male figure against a backdrop of the supernatural. But where We Have a Ghost finds light there, this one finds ambiguity and dread. Same emotional structure, opposite colour temperature.

A miniseries that moves between genuine darkness and genuine tenderness, never settling in either place. It's small-scale and intimate but feels infinite. Some of the most beautiful television ever made.

But It's deliberately cryptic and melancholic. The mystery is never fully solved, and if you're looking for comfort, this will unsettle you instead.