A Ghost Story
Experimental meditation on grief that moves extremely slowly with minimal dialogue
The brief
David Lowery turns grief into the most mesmerizing slow burn you'll ever see, with Casey Affleck literally under a bedsheet for most of the runtime watching time collapse around him. This is meditative cinema that moves at the speed of actual mourning - long, static shots that either hypnotize you or test your patience depending on your mood. Rooney Mara eating an entire pie in one unbroken take becomes oddly profound, and the film's jumps through time feel both cosmic and devastatingly intimate. Perfect for anyone who loved Tree of Life or finds comfort in Tarkovsky's pacing.
The verdict
If you have patience for meditative, glacially-paced cinema and appreciate experimental storytelling about grief and time, this is a hypnotic and surprisingly profound experience. If you need consistent plot movement or get restless during long static shots, you'll find yourself checking your watch during scenes like a five-minute pie-eating sequence.
Watch with
- 👤 Solo contemplation or patient film lovers
- ⚠️ Skip if you need constant action
Heads up
- Death and grief themes throughout (moderate)
- Extremely slow pacing may cause restlessness (frequent)
Credits
- Director
- David Lowery
- Cast
- Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, McColm Cephas Jr., Kenneisha Thompson, Grover Coulson, Liz Cardenas, Barlow Jacobs
Official synopsis
Recently deceased, a white-sheeted ghost returns to his suburban home to console his bereft wife, only to find
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with You Were Never Really Here (2017)
Both explore grief and disconnection through fractured, meditative narratives.
Total runtime: 1h 33m + 1h 29m = 3h 2m
