Ghost Town

Ghost Town has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in the US on Hoopla. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. 1,070 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Ricky Gervais's performance alone is worth the time investment. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Hoopla.

Ghost Town arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Ghost Town gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. Bertram Pincus, a cranky, people-hating Manhattan dentist, develops the unwelcome ability to see dead people. Really annoying dead people. Even worse, they all want something from him, particularly Frank Herlihy, a smooth-talking ghost, who pesters him into a romantic scheme involving his widow Gwen. Ricky Gervais and Greg Kinnear lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2008. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and Ghost Town holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

For viewers who want something light without wanting something stupid, Ghost Town respects your intelligence. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Ricky Gervais sets the tone, but the supporting cast is where a lot of the best moments come from. A reliable pick for any night you want quality comedy without the homework.