Review: A Ghost Waits

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

A Ghost Waits
Directed by Adam Stovall
Rebecca Films; Arrow Video; MVD Visual
80 minutes, 2020 / 2021
www.aghostwaits.com/
https://arrowfilms.com/
www.MVDVisual.com

Most of us have seen hauntings films, such as Poltergeist (1982) and The Amityville Horror (1979). The spirits are present in the home and they are going to get physical on some level, eventually probably scaring the inhabitants away.

Natalie Walker

This is the job of a particular ghost, Muriel (Natalie Walker), and she is a champ at it. No one will stay at the Cincinnati house, which is – in the alive world – possessed by a management company, owned by Neal (director Adam Stovall). He’s a cranky new dad of twins, and he just wants the problem of constantly rotating lease-breaking tenants solved.

To get the house ready for the next renters, Neal sends his handyman employee, Jack (MacLeod Andrews) to clean up and take care of any issues. It becomes pretty obvious early on that what is there walks alone, and steals his pizza. Jack is a bit of a ne’er-do-well though good at his job, whose own rental is under fumigation, has no family or friends to speak of, can’t get anyone to listen to or help him, and is just floating through life in a job that doesn’t really mean much to him.

It is pretty obvious that Muriel and Jack are going to connect on some level. It takes a while, but these two lost souls are looking for something and someone. While Jack has to contend with an absent boss (yeah, those new twins keep him distracted), Muriel has her own issues with her by-the-book spook supervisor, Ms. Henry (scene stealer Amanda Miller) and a fellow up-and-coming “spectral agent” Rosie (Sydney Vollmer). What’s a poor ghost to do?

MacLeod Andrews

This film definitely has a comic vibe to it, though it is more of a “dramedy.” It is well written, especially the way it uses the soundtrack as another major character, such as songs by the likes of Wussy and Honeyhoney, which was well played.

It is also interesting to see the differences between the two main haunting ghosts. Rosie is newer, and more up-to-date in her language as a teenager, while Muriel talks with no contractions, as in “I do not,” as opposed to the more modern “I don’t”. The viewer may not get that, but will notice something is off in her cadence to modern speech. I thought this was a really smart, deliberate, and subtle choice.

There are also a few references in one (of a few) Muriel-inspired dream sequence for Jack that definitely harken back to Stephen King, such as Jack talking to himself as a bartender, right out of The Shining (1980), and there is also a subtle nod to IT (1990), where the bartender-nee-Muriel mentions being both a clown and a spider in the past. Jack even wears a tee that says “King” on it. However, in one of the commentaries, the director states that was not his intention, though perhaps it was subconscious. It still works, though, for genre fans.

Sydney Vollmer

Another one of the understated points of the film, though written by men, is that the strongest characters here are the women. Jack is kind of weak and generally unmotivated in life, drinking way too much of (not his) beer, and I wonder at some of the choices he makes, but Muriel likes what she does and is, to say the least, fierce. And yet she has a lot to learn in the experience which makes her more independent and a leader (such as over Rosie), taking control of her own life – er – death to make choices. I also like the fact that one of the ghosts, who obviously has been dead a long, long time, is “Ms.” rather than “Miss” or “Mrs.” This pro-women aspect is one of the finer themes of the film for me.

Because, in part, due to the use of sharp shadows, especially on Muriel’s face as she is consistently lit from below (as are all the spectral agents), the film works so much better in Black and White and, again, it was a wise choice. It’s just the right amount of grainy without being hard to see at all, which gives the look a sense of texture. There are also many very long shots, some static and others following the characters, rather than a jumble of quick edits. It works for the pace of the story.

Amanda Miller

I spent nearly two full days with this project. There are so many extras on this Blu-ray, including three (yes, three) full commentaries. The first is with the director and Corrie Loeffler, a friend of his who is mentioned in the “thanks” at the end of the film. Stovall has a tendency to wander off on subjects, but Corrine does really well to reel him back in. Their friendship is evident throughout which makes the commentary more organic. The second is the director with one of Stovall’s long-time best friends and male lead, Andrews (who co-wrote the screenplay with him). This is a fun conversation that discusses the film but also veers off to delve into things like the genre in general and storytelling. It was the best of the commentaries. The last is with Stovall, Cinematographer Michael Potter, Vollmer, Andrews, and Actor/Co-producer Nicholas Thurkettle. Much of the stories told are repeats of previous commentaries and the eight interviews mentioned below, but they do manage to not overtalk each other.

At the film’s first festival showing at Frightfest Glasgow 2020, there is an interview (11 min) and a post-film Q&A (14 min) with director Adam Stovall, both moderated by Alan Jones. The sound quality for the second is a bit echoey, but listenable. Some of the same ground is covered in each, but it is still interesting. The “Outtakes” reel (12 min) is actually quite fun, more than I have seen in others recently, and part of that is the chemistry between the two leads, Andrews and Walker.

There are eight Zoom individual interviews with the cast and crew moderated by critic and programmer tt stern-enzi (an ee cummings fan?), who is the Artistic Director of the Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival and Member at Critics Choice Association; he did a fine job.

Of the cast, there is MacLeod (21 min) who discusses his character and the film’s music, and Vollmer (12 min). For the crew, there is Executive Producers MF Thomas (12 min) and Deborah Parag (7 min) – who is also Adam Stovall’s mother, Director of Photography Michael C. Potter (13 min), Composers Mitch Bain (9 min) and Margaret Darling, who did the original soundtrack (9 min) and, of course, it ends with Director Adam Stovall (30 min).

“Humanity and the Afterlife in A Ghost Waits” (15 min) is an Isabel Custodio-directed featurette that looks at the film’s themes and influences on a deeper, almost academic level, though it never talks above the viewer. Others include the theatrical trailer, an image gallery, along with available English subtitles. There is also a reversible cover and outer case sleeve with artwork by Sister Hyde.

Walker

I have one random question: while Jack is waiting for something to do, why didn’t he paint the outside of the garage, which has peeling paint above the door? Things you notice…

While I thought the ending was predictable, it was really the right way to end this, so I did not let that get in the way of the story. Overall, it was the right length to keep the interest up, and had some really fine moments. The acting is top notch and helps make the film even more enjoyable. This is fun, and may play well as a date night film without being too Hallmarky with over-schmaltz. For a director’s first film, this is quite compelling and a positive release.