'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' Sparks Spirited Response From Social Media

By Michael Hein

Ghostbusters: Afterlife hit theaters this weekend, and so far, the response has been strong. The movie had a relatively successful opening night at the box office, and the reviews seem to be generally positive. Fans themselves are starting to share their opinions on social media.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is one of the worst victims of the COVID-19 pandemic in the film industry, having been delayed four times since its original release date in July of 2020. Now that it's finally out, some fans think it is worth the wait. The movie acknowledges Ghostbusters II (1989) as canon, but basically ignores the 2016 Ghostbusters revival. It doesn't hurt that it has some A-list guest stars and cameos, either.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is co-written and directed by Jason Reitman, the son of the original franchise director Ivan Reitman. It stars Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace, Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Logan Kim and Celeste O'Connor as newcomers to the franchise, with the original trio Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson reprising their old roles. Other stars include Sigourney Weaver, Josh Gad, J.K. Simmons and Olivia Wilde, among others.

Reviving, rebooting or adding to a franchise like Ghostbusters always comes with risks, since so many fans have an emotional connection to the original. So far, it seems like Ghostbusters: Afterlife manages to thread that needle. Here's a look at what fans are saying.

Success Out of Nowhere

Many fans felt like this movie did not get the promotion it deserved in the lead-up to its premiere, so they are pleased to see it performing well at the box office already.

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Fan Art

A few fans posted their artwork of the new characters and situations in the world of Ghostbusters. The revival already has a new generation inspired.

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Congratulations

Reitman is relatively active on social media, so many fans directed their praise for the film right at him. They congratulated Reitman on a job well done.

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Emotional

In an interview this week, Murray joked that the movie was surprisingly emotional for a comedy, and now that they've seen it fans agree. Many could attest that they teared up at some point during the film.

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Word of Mouth

Many fans said that this was a case where the reviews and critics' scores were not as important as the recommendations of friends and other fans. They felt like a real cinematic critique of Ghostbusters couldn't capture the nexus of nostalgia and fan service needed to make this film successful.

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Sequel

Of course, excited fans are already eager to find out of this movie is the first of many. Most seem to hope that this crew will reunite for more movies down the road.

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Actors

Finally, many fans were happy for Aykroyd, Murray and Hudson for finally getting the sequel they felt they had been waiting decades for.

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