“Hello Ghost” by Falcon Pictures came out in Indonesia on May 11, 2023 and on Netflix in the U.S. on Sept. 8. The feature is a remake of the 2010 Korean film and is a comedic-drama film.
The film centers around Kresna, a lonely man played by Onadio Leonardo, who, after multiple attempts to commit suicide, ends up in a hospital. While there, he gets stuck with four ghosts; Chika, Bima, Lita, and Kuatno. The spirits must use his body to fulfill their needs or else they will have to stay with him forever. While adjusting to his new life, he starts to fall for the nurse, Linda Purnama, played by Enzy Storia, and learns an important aspect of life.
The film tackles many themes, like isolation corrupting one’s mind and harmful thoughts as a result. The film emphasizes that committing suicide is a terrible act to commit, and how opening up to life and living it to the fullest can be beneficial to oneself.
The beginning contains a dedication from Indra Gunawan, the director, to his parents, Sri Hiroo and Smt. Vinita Bharwani. After that, the film officially opens with Kresna’s attempts at suicide.
The plot itself is evocative of Disney and Pixar’s “Ratatouille” and “Soul” because all three movies contain non-humans controlling an actual human and causing hijinx to ensue. It’s even similar to Frank Capra’s “It’s A Wonderful Life” due to both films having a protagonist who wanted to end their own lives. But, “Hello Ghost” is different from the other films and isn’t a ripoff.
The scenes featuring Kresna and Purnama are very sweet, especially with how Purnama is a contrast from Kresna since she has a rocky relationship with her father.
Another aspect of the film that’s very sweet and unique is the setting because it takes place in Indonesia, and it captures the bustling atmosphere of the country and even small details, like the design of the minibus that the characters drive in, and the calm beach they visit.
The setting isn’t the only unique feature to the film, because the music and actors are just as unique.
The music is very good thanks to it matching the scenes. For example, the beginning of the movie has eerie music that fits into a horror film to go with Kresna’s suicide attempts.
The actors also give off very believable emotions, most notably Leonardo, because Kresna feels isolated from others and longs for human connections, which is a real common feeling people can relate to.
The ending has a surprising twist and is very heartwarming because it reveals who the ghosts really are. The cause of their deaths is dark because the cause can happen in real life.
However the film isn’t perfect, as it’s a whopping 114 minutes long, and the premise can be off-putting to audiences despite its great execution. There’s also no English dub on Netflix, but there are English subtitles.
Despite some nitpicks, the film contains a unique setting, music, and acting. It also has many heartfelt scenes, a heartfelt ending, and a heartfelt concept reminiscent of other films. If people like family films or comedy-dramas, then they’ll love the film.
4.5/5 stars.
