Reviews

I wanted to give the show a chance because I love the topic of ghosts and a bit of spooky fun, even if it's silly. Unfortunately, the writing is so bad that I couldn't get into it. The jokes are predictable and flat, as are the characters -- it feels like an improv written by highschoolers at camp. I don't think this is the actors' fault; I think the creators just didn't put too much intelligence and creativity behind this one.

I've watched the original version and I think the reason why people are so irate is that the BBC show IS charming and the actors have great comedic timing. It's a little less obvious, the characters are a bit more nuanced, and it feels like there's more "room to breathe" -- this version makes me feel like they're holding my hand all the way through and they might as well have had a laugh track: "Eh? Eh? Funny, right?!" I like the idea of adapting it with characters more relevant to American history but they just don't get any time to shine are just flat caricatures. It's disappointing and the episodes flew by and blended together.

It didn't help that the setting is kind of boring, as well. It might have helped if it wasn't just a drab house in a sunny city? The setting can add so much to the atmosphere of a show. I definitely understand why it's hard not to compare it to the original, which gets so many things right, but even without the comparison ... this of just a meh show that's easy to forget.

There is no tension, it doesn't feel grand or adventurous at all, they somehow managed to make the most beautiful locations look like a sound set, and there is little humour in the film. There are three non-white characters in the film, they have barely any screen time and one is conveniently removed after delivering about ten lines of dialogue. This really could have been a fluffy Netflix project. For all of the money they spent on this, they certainly didn't spend it on good writing or cinematography.

Although I've never been a huge fan of Beyonce's, I figured that with the budget behind this that it could possibly have a lot of the best talent to create something intriguing. Instead, while it markets itself as something truly profound or exceptionally stunning to watch, it felt more like an extended music video with poor storytelling.

While it was shot in some amazing places, the shots did little justice to the locations and everything felt smaller rather than more expansive. I did not get a sense of different African cultures or places -- they were alluded to, but not credited in any meaningful way. Once again, it felt like Beyonce's very American, Hollywood-ish team wanted to make her look good, this time by drawing on her African ancestry and whatever weird connection they made with Disney's "The Lion King".

There was so much potential here for something really visually stunning and meaningful, but it falls flat. I would say it is perfect for people who just love to see Beyonce doing things, and who feel inspired to see a mixed-race woman with African ancestry in a position of power.

Great acting, wonderful characters, terrifically spooky atmosphere, both creepy and funny. I hope there's a second season!