SummaryWhen melancholic construction worker Dan finds himself drifting from his wife and daughter, he discovers community and purpose in a local theater’s production of Romeo and Juliet. As the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life, he and his family are forced to confront a personal loss.
Directed By:Kelly O'Sullivan, Alex Thompson
Written By:Kelly O'Sullivan
Ghostlight
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
82
User score
Generally Favorable
7.6
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
82
100% Positive
21 Reviews
21 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Jun 21, 2024
100
Ghostlight is one of the best movies of the year, and if that’s a meaningful enough statement for you, then feel free to stop reading now.
Jan 22, 2024
91
O’Sullivan and Thompson gently fold their story together, finding humor and heart at every turn . . . leading to the kind of ending that somehow inspired the film’s very first audience at Sundance to laugh and cry.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.6
81% Positive
52 Ratings
52 Ratings
9% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
9% Negative
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
Dec 16, 2024
10
This is by far my favorite movie of the year, out of more than fifty I've watched. Where to begin? And how to proceed without spoiling the thing? One of the attractions of this movie is that I totally couldn't tell where it was going, or even whom to root for. Some of the plot gimmicks were so totally unexpected and yet, by the end, so RIGHT! You owe it to yourself to study this film.
Dec 4, 2024
10
Ghostlight is a little indie film with no budget and a big heart. 10/10 Dad and daughter in real life, Keith Kupferer (Dan) and Katherine Mallen Kupferer (Daisy), play the father and daughter duo in the film. Tara Mallen (Dan’s real-life wife and Katherine’s mother) plays the wife and mother, Sharon. The audience slowly learns the family is dealing with a tragedy that each person copes with in their own desperate way. Daisy, a talented high school actor, is expelled for cursing and disrespect. Her anger is palpable. Dan’s anger is under the surface, like hot lava ready to erupt. Serendipity causes Dan to secretly join a community theater group of misfits staging Romeo and Juliet. Daisy finds out and joins the troupe. What therapy couldn’t achieve, the theater unites the dad and daughter duo. Most importantly, the family moves past the anger stage of grief. Written by Kelly O’Sullivan. Directed by Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson.
Jun 20, 2024
88
The trio give excellent performances, working together to create a credible family unit. Father and daughter hit their strides during their moments of catharsis onstage, which explains why audiences at Sundance reportedly laughed and cried during the climactic performance.
Feb 6, 2024
87
Ghostlight is a comedy in a loose sense, a tragedy in another, and a redemption song in yet one more. More succinctly, it’s a Thompson film, meaning it gently, tenderly unpacks and embodies every single feeling its characters might have about their situation at hand.
Jun 20, 2024
78
O’Sullivan’s script is also a remarkable document of community theatre: again, often a place for cheap laughs about hams and backstage romances, but it’s never played for comedy at the character’s expense.
Jun 18, 2024
70
It’s like a good theatrical production. It’s often charming and more than a little chaotic.
Jun 21, 2024
63
Made without stars or much of a budget but with a lot of heart and good vibes, it’s an exemplary and moving independent film.
Oct 6, 2024
10
Deeply real. As a parent who has lost children, I felt along with the families, the people. Cathartic for me. I’m in circles who have similar experiences -will tell them about the movie. Also, it allowed me to recognize the genius of Shakespeare.
Aug 21, 2024
10
Superrrrrrrrrrrr...Finnneee. l likeeed.....This is very good.................
Jul 6, 2024
10
One of the best dramatic films I've seen in 2024. Great script, uniformly great acting.
Will particularly appeal to theatre lovers and to parents.
Jun 29, 2024
10
I took one critic's advice and went in knowing almost nothing about the plot. It was beautiful. I was in tears. One of the most unpretentious and powerful movies I've ever seen about family, love, grief and art. I hope it gets more attention!
Production Company:
- Runaway Train
Release Date:Jun 14, 2024
Duration:1 h 50 m
Rating:R
Awards
Seattle International Film Festival
• 2 Wins & 4 Nominations
Satellite Awards
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Seattle Film Critics Society
• 2 Nominations
