Worried Ghostbusters Afterlife is scary for kids? Read on for our spoiler-free review. 

So Hollywood is giving us another millennial (or perhaps Xenial this time) comeback movie as tribute. But is Ghostbusters Afterlife a blessing or a curse? Well for me, personally a good resurrection has some elements I enjoyed in my childhood but lots of new elements that make it feel new and fresh. Most of all I want to be able to enjoy it with my kids. Ghostbusters Afterlife has all of this and more. My biggest worry was that the movie would be too scary for my 8 and 11 year-old who haven’t really seen anything very scary, especially not in theaters. But I was pleasantly surprised with their reaction. Read on for our spoiler-free review of Ghostbusters Afterlife. 

What parents need to know about ‘Ghostbusters Afterlife’

To be honest, going into this one I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew Ghostbusters Afterlife wasn’t like the many movie remakes we’ve seen (I’m looking at you Disney), but rather a sequel, or new story of some sort in the Ghostbusters universe. It follows the story of a single mom and her two kids who arrive in a small town where strange things are happening. There they undercover some of the original Ghostbusters story.

Parents should know there are some swear words and sexual references (ie: a joke about pole dancing), but it doesn’t go anywhere near as suggestive as some of the scenes in the original film. 

What I liked about ‘Ghostbusters Afterlife’ 

I loved the diversity in this film. We’ve got a science-loving girl breaking stereotypical norms. And a diverse cast, which I found quite pleasant and unusual for a movie featuring a small town. If your kids have seen the original Ghostbusters they’ll appreciate the tie-ins, but the more youthful spin on this movie that focuses on the characters and story beyond the supernatural.

There’s less ghosts but more story, which depending on your feelings on the matter may make you love it or hate it. For us, with a kid who loves each, there seemed to be a perfect mix of each. 

Oh, and treat this like a Marvel movie and stay for BOTH end credit scenes. 

What I didn’t like

To be honest I was never a huge fan of the original Ghostbusters. I mean I watched it, and showed it to my kids. You know, I did my due diligence.  As a kid myself I actually really enjoyed the second movie more. So maybe that’s why I wasn’t blown away. I thought the story was great, the easter eggs were aplenty (even not being a superfan I caught many and loved it). And it was really fun to see these supernatural beings in an up to date movie. In other words, the movie was done very well, and I can appreciate it for that. It just isn’t really my thing. I thought it was a little slow at times and worried my kids would get bored but I looked over and they were sucked into it. So maybe it was just me. I imagine diehard Ghostbusters fans will be absolutely thrilled to enjoy this either alone, or alongside their kids. Please let me know your thoughts if that’s you!

Is ‘Ghostbusters Afterlife’ scary for kids? 

Both of my kids agree that Ghostbusters Afterlife wasn’t as scary as we expected. My kids have seen the first Ghostbusters movie and thought that was pretty scary and went in a little nervous about what to expect. There were a couple of moments where things went from quiet to loud and I jumped in my seat. Moments where people are being chased by supernatural monsters and a couple of creepy scenes similar to what you saw in the original film. If your kids scare easily this might be too intense for them. However, if they’re 10 and up, and open to the idea of a few thrills they’ll likely be delighted with the amount of balanced freight built into this movie.

Ok enough about what I thought. Here’s what my kids thought about the movie.

Ghostbusters Afterlife Kids Review

What did you think of the movie?

J: I liked it cause it was Ghostbusters and there’s monsters and stuff but it’s not scary and I like that there are some natural parts like about a family, and  their story, and it’s more natural. 

T: I liked it. Because there’s MONSTERS!

Funniest part?

T: I think at the beginning it was funny.

J: I thought in the beginning it was funnier. It was more natural and less monster boom boom boom parts. I thought the bad jokes were funny. 

What was your favorite part? 

J: I don’t want to give away too much but I loved the Walmart scene. 

T: I liked when she was starting at the mom and she said “there is no mom”

Would you recommend it to your friends? 

J: I would recommend it to some of my friends who are Ghostbuster fans. 

T: No one. I bet they wouldn’t like it cause it might be too scary for them.

Who was your favorite character?

J: The girl. I liked that she was smart. 

T: The old ghostbusters.

Did you have any takeaways from the movie?

T: Oh yea, it taught me, I’m afraid of no ghosts.

Who would you recommend this movie to? 

J:I’d say 8 plus. 

T: Like if they’re older than 6. 

Think you should watch the first Ghostbusters first? 

J: No, I think it’s better if you don’t watch it especially if you’re younger cause I think the first one is a little scarier. 

T: I’m not sure how many Ghostbuster movies there are. I think I’ve only seen two of them. It kinda helped me get it.

Did you think it was scary?

J: It wasn’t scary like I’d have nightmares about it. There were just times where you’d jump like Woah!

T: No, I’m immune to scary. I didn’t want to close my eyes. 

Was it scarier than you expected?

J: I tried to make myself expect that Ghostbusters was going to be really really scary but actually as much as I thought I was going to be scared, this was less scarier than that. There are creepy parts but it’s not scary. And then there are jumpy parts. 

T: I think it maybe it was as scary as I thought but it still didn’t scare me.

Would you want to watch it again? 

J: Yes!

T: YES! 

How would you rank it compared to other movies we’ve seen recently. 

J: I gave the same stars to Clifford but I liked this maybe more. I liked Home Sweet Home Alone way more. 

T: I liked this more than Clifford and Ron’s Gone Wrong. This is probably my favorite new movie. But I like Godzilla vs King Kong more.

How would you rate it?

J: Out of 5 I’d give it 3.

T: Out of 5 I’d give it a 4. Out of 10 I’d give it an 8 or a 7. 

Is it worth going to the movies to see/picking it for movie night/paying $30?

T: I think if you saw it at your house it wouldn’t be as scary. 

J: I think it would be louder at the theater. And Jumpier. 

Final Thoughts

Overall Ghostbusters Afterlife is a great movie for the whole family. At least if your family is on the tween and up age. Any younger than that and the frights may be too much, unless you have a little thrill seeker.

Ghostbusters Afterlife is playing exclusively in theaters November 19th. Will you be seeing it? Let us know your thoughts!

Wondering how our Ghostbusters Afterlife movie review might compare to yours? Here are some other movies we’ve reviewed:

• ‘RON’S GONE WRONG’ REVIEW
• ‘VIVO’ MOVIE REVIEW
• ‘LUCA’ MOVIE REVIEW
• ‘SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS’ REVEIW
• ‘ETERNALS’ MOVIE REVIEW

Like watching movies together as a family? We’ll you’ll LOVE this. Our Movie Night Journal!:

Tags: ghostbusters, kids movie review, movie reveiw