Ghost TownMovie Reviews

Poster art for "Ghost Town."

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Avg. Critic Score: 72 out of 100 Generally favorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
13 OK for kids 13+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 100
    San Francisco Chronicle | Walter Addiego

    Both very funny and a bit of a tearjerker, with an on-the-money performance from Ricky Gervais. Read full review

  • 90
    The Hollywood Reporter | Michael Rechtshaffen

    A winning mix of sharp comedy and touching bits that keeps the laughter -- a few tears -- flowing. Read full review

  • 90
    The New York Times | Stephen Holden

    A misanthropic dentist, a roguish ghost and a zany Egyptologist: as these unlikely companions scamper around Manhattan in the buoyant comedy Ghost Town, they resurrect the spirits of classic movie curmudgeons like W. C. Fields and such romantic comedians as Cary Grant and Carole Lombard in Woody Allen territory. Read full review

  • 80
    Washington Post | Ann Hornaday

    A sweet and hilarious romantic comedy featuring a breakout performance by British comic genius Ricky Gervais, inspires viewers to pause, reflect and praise one of the most rare and wondrous occurrences in contemporary cinema: the Good Movie. Read full review

  • 80
    Variety |

    Smartly supernatural, and featuring sensational performances by Ricky Gervais and Tea Leoni, Ghost Town is a "Topper" for our times. Read full review

  • 75
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    A good-natured and engaging fantasy/romantic comedy in the tradition of "Heaven Can Wait" or even "Topper." Read full review

  • 75
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    It sounds sappy, and sometimes it is, but director Koepp and co-writer John Kamps stay alert to the humor and pathos of Bertram's isolation. Read full review

  • 75
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    A lightweight rom-com elevated by its performances. It is a reminder that the funniest people are often not comedians, but actors playing straight in funny roles. Read full review

  • 70
    Los Angeles Times | Jan Stuart

    Audiences who feel battered by Hollywood's usual hard-sell approach to farce may be disarmed by Koepp's soft touch and inclined to credit blandness as understatement. Read full review

  • 67
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    Diverting enough, but it's also the kind of high-concept studio concoction Ricky Gervais might have ridiculed in his great backstage-showbiz sitcom "Extras." Read full review

View more reviews for Ghost Town on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 13+ Comedy is sweet, but a little short on romance.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that, overall, the content of this sweet romantic comedy is tamer than not. There are some allusions to infidelity (though viewers don't see it happening), a bit of social drinking, a few jokes about prescription drug abuse, and some fairly infrequent swearing (including "f--k" and "s--t"), but there's no nudity, and the film has an upbeat, hopeful message in the end. That said, one of the main character is a ghost, and some of the discussions about death might be upsetting for young or particularly sensitive kids.
  • Families can talk about the movie's message. What point is it making about how to live life while you can? What does Bertram learn from the ghosts? Is his transformation believable? Families can also discuss how this movie compares to other romantic comedies. Can you think of any movies it's similar to?
The good stuff
  • message true2 Positive messages: Portrays a heartfelt transformation of a malcontent into a giving person. But before he changes, he's quite nasty: He's rude to patients, colleagues, and neighbors. At first, a man seems cavalier about his infidelity. There's a plot to deceive a woman, though there's some remorse after it happens.
What to watch for
  • violence false2 Violence: Buses hit people head-on, but viewers don't see any gore. Some discussion about how certain people have died. Some yelling.
  • sex false2 Sex: A man talks about having a mistress, but viewers don't see them together. Some jokes about a mummy's private parts; one of the minor ghosts is naked, but nothing sensitive is shown.
  • language false3 Language: Not particularly frequent use, but some strong words, including "f--k," "s--t," "ass," and "goddamn."
  • consumerism false3 Consumerism: Signage for New York City buses, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bulgari. One character holds a BlackBerry and talks of it wistfully.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Some discussion of prescription drugs and jokes about abusing them. Some social drinking.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

Looking for more reviews? Movies.com Critics Say:

Dave White

4.5

Dave White Profile See Dave White's Profile

It’s perfectly pleasant, often funny (until it slows down for the inevitable soul searching everyone’s forced to do)... Read full review See Dave White's on MOVIENAME on Movies.com

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