Review of A Ghost Story

A Ghost Story is probably too precious for its own good. There are many scenes, including the couple much talked about long takes, that feel like they're there to announce what kind of movie this is (a litmus test of arty endurance - I kept expecting people to walk out or start screaming at the screen but neither happened during my viewing), rather than serve a dramatic purpose. But they only feel that way during the time you are first watching them. After finishing the film and reflecting on these same scenes, they take on a new elegance that wasn't there before. This is a film that probably needs a rewatch for full appreciation, not because of plot complexity but instead emotional.

I found myself stimulated, bored, confused, glum, and profoundly moved - that a movie can somehow conjure all these feelings during the course of one viewing is a true feat of experimental prowess.