A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Positive Messages
a little
No clearly articulated messages, but plenty of ideas about life, existence, the earth, love, place, time, and more. Do ghosts exist? Are they tied to a person, place, or time? Does it matter what we do while we're here on Earth? How long does anything last?
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Positive Role Models
very little
No clear role models. Most characters are simply enduring, although there's something heroic about that.
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Violence & Scariness
some
Disturbing images. Dead man in a car crash with blood trickling from his forehead. Parents and children killed by arrows. Bloody wounds shown. Bodies decompose over time, turning into scary, rotting corpses and skeletons. Scary noises, one or two jump scares. A temper tantrum, smashing plates.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
a little
A couple kisses tenderly in bed. More kissing. Shirtless male. Seemingly naked woman covering herself with a sheet.
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Language
some
A use of "f--king" and a use of "s--t."
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Products & Purchases
very little
See AlsoTalk to Me Movie ReviewSony headphones shown in one scene.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
very little
Background drinking at party -- beer and liquor. A character asks another whether he's "OK to drive home."
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that A Ghost Story is an artful, poetic meditation on life, death, love, place, and other things. Although it's not a horror movie (despite the title), it has a few brief moments of strong violence, including a dead body in a car crash (with a trickle of blood on his forehead) and a family slaughtered by arrows. Bloodstains are shown, and their bodies decompose over time, rotting somewhat graphically. A couple is shown lying in bed, perhaps naked (nothing sensitive shown), and kissing tenderly. Language is sparse but does include a single use of "f--king" and a use of "s--t." Some background drinking (beer, liquor) is shown. This is a simple movie that casts a delicate spell; many may resist it (some viewers may find it ridiculous), but others will find it profoundly transporting. Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara star. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
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A Ghost StoryOfficial trailer -
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A Ghost Story
Community Reviews
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- Parents say (9)
- Kids say (6)
age 13+
Based on 9 parent reviews
Bryan B. Parent of 18+-year-old
January 11, 2024
age 15+
Spoiler Free and to the point without tipping the bit!
This movie was done brilliantly.To convey what it does very simplisticly while having such an interesting slant on a road we must all go down.If you watch this movie as a 20-year-old it would strike you completely differently than if you were 60 years old. It's not a horror movie nor is it a scary movie.But the movie scared me. The concept terrifies me.Honestly to that extent seeing the movie hurt. I will watch it again when I need to.Everyone should see it- just prepare yourself.
doctora Parent of 5-year-old
June 4, 2022
age 15+
This film is more an experience than a linear project
A sloooooow film that takes place mostly in silence. It takes it's sweet time telling it's story but that is because it's primary goal is the manipulation of time. How do you present eternity in a linear film? How do you represent an infinity loop? The film animates a sheet in a spooky , beautiful, and ethereal way. it also displays loneliness through it's manipulations with time. It is slow but it doesn't let you go.
Rate movie
See all 9 parent reviews
What's the Story?
In A GHOST STORY, a couple living together in a small Texas house argues. "C" (Casey Affleck) wants to stay in the house, but "M" (Rooney Mara) wants to move out. She's used to moving around and likes to hide little notes, stuck in the walls of homes she's lived in, as a way of leaving a piece of herself behind. The next day, C dies in a car crash, returning as a ghost. He silently watches M grieving, recovering, and -- eventually -- leaving. He watches others move into the house, sometimes haunting them, sometimes not. Time moves on, and things come and go. The picture grows larger and more cosmic, but the only thing the ghost really wants to see is what M left on her scrap of paper before she left their home.
Is It Any Good?
Our review:
Parents say (9):
Kids say (6):
This very special movie casts a fine, delicate spell; many may resist it, but those who go along with it may find themselves profoundly moved, transported to a soul-stirring, poetically cosmic place. In A Ghost Story, writer/director David Lowery (Ain't Them Bodies Saints, Pete's Dragon) has created a deceptively small movie, confined in space (it uses the squarish, 1-to-1.33 screen aspect ratio), with very little dialogue and simple, spare effects. (The ghost is very deliberately nothing more than a guy in a sheet.)
But this simplicity is used to conjure mighty emotional reactions. Long, slow, still shots allow viewers to reflect on grief, death, life, love, and other things, while more startling transitions -- such as breathtaking leaps through time -- arouse larger, more existential questions. The haunting sound design and music are always note-perfect, and rarely, if ever, break the mood. A Ghost Story is everything from a heartbreakingly simple love story to a rumination on the meaning of place in our lives to a pondering of life itself.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about A Ghost Story's violence. How frequently is it shown, and what is it meant to illustrate? How does it compare to what you've seen in other movies with supernatural themes? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
Is the movie scary? Have you ever seen a movie about ghosts that wasn't scary? Are ghosts inherently scary?
The "prognosticator's" speech makes it sound as if life is pointless. Do you agree or disagree with his ideas? What might be some issues with his thinking?
What do you think was written on the scrap of paper? Does it matter to the story to know for sure? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters: July 7, 2017
- On DVD or streaming: October 3, 2017
- Cast: Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck, Will Oldham
- Director: David Lowery
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: A24
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Run time: 92 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: brief language and a disturbing image
- Last updated: October 1, 2023
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A Ghost Story
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