As the lights of the theater dimmed, I was actually excited for what I thought would be a simple movie tied to the old Ghostbusters movie. Surprisingly, I was wrong, thanks to the movie’s engaging story and references to prior films in the franchise.

“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” premiered in theatres on Nov. 19, continuing the story 37 years after the first film. It follows Egon Spengler (an original ghostbuster), his daughter Callie (Carrie Coon) and her kids, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace). 

Following Spengler’s death, Callie and her kids go to the small town of Summerville to pick up the pieces. While everyone assumes Spangeler died of a natural heart attack, Phoebe finds clues that lead her closer to discovering the truth of not only his death, but also what he was doing in Summerville. The movie feels just like a classic mystery film with occasional horror elements tied in.

Grooberson (Paul Rudd), Phoebe and Podcast (Logan Kim) were some of the standouts of the film. Grooberson is a summer school teacher who provides much of the humor throughout the film. Over the course of the story, we watch Phoebe go from being an outcast to becoming just like Spengler. Podcast is a classmate Phoebe meets who helps her discover the mysteries of Summerville.

The film offers tons of fanservice with returning actors from the past films and the return of the classic car, “The Ecto-1.” “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” captures just how the originals felt whenever you watch them for the first time. 

The movie is a lot of fun with a story that provides an engaging mystery and a bit of horror. I recommend this film to anyone who enjoys the original Ghostbusters movies or anyone looking for a fun mystery to uncover.