Directed by Emily Ting, Girl Haunts Boy is the cozy young adult love story I didn’t know I needed—perfect for those who prefer their spooky season viewing to be less scary and more wholesome. While I wish it were a true romance with a happily ever after, it’s still a film worth watching and appreciating. Based on the upcoming novel by Cesar Vitale, viewers are in for a delightful treat.
Starring Peyton List and Michael Cimino, Girl Haunts Boy is a well-written, thoughtfully heartwarming film that explores grief by carefully intermingling the past and present. This is for every person who loves Taylor Swift’s “Invisible String” and the idea that people who are meant to meet always will. It’s also fitting for those who loved Netflix’s Julie and the Phantoms.
There’s a subtle tenderness in the film that flows so exquisitely through every frame that it ensures every beat of the story says something significant. The trailer makes it seem like it’ll be a cheesy little romance (which I would’ve still devoured and loved), but I was pleasantly surprised by the compelling exploration of grief that dives deep into how the passions that are dimmed from loss can reignite because of love. Cole no longer sings after losing his dad, but meeting Bea’s ghost helps him understand that he can keep both their memories alive by staying true to himself. Sure, it’s a bit saccharine, but isn’t that what we all search for when we experience a tremendous loss? The reminder that those we love always stay with us. The explanations of life and death that we so rarely know how to grapple with.
Effectively, Girl Haunts Boy also uses F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby to draw parallels to humanity’s obsession with the past and the importance of understanding ourselves in the present. It also explores our innate need to cling to and romanticize the moments and people taken from us. Only here, Cole and Bea play such crucial roles in each other’s growth that the romanticization is entirely necessary. It’s palpable and raw.
Further, the clever twist of tying Bea’s entrapment to the ring and allowing her to travel with Cole also contributes to making the film a cozy delight. We might not get a happy ending with the two of them alive and well, but we see the birth of a beautiful, life-changing friendship. We see two people who were too sad and too broken get a second chance to dance and be carefree. More importantly, a second chance to live again, and while Bea’s is more literal, Cole’s adventure explores the internal death that comes in the face of losing someone you love. It’s subtle and it’s less pronounced, but it’s what depression and pain look like.
A movie like this can easily be quirky and delightful, but the performances make it captivating and emotional. I couldn’t believe my visceral reaction to the two of them parting, but List and Cimino brought such vulnerable goodbyes to the screen that it floored me. It made the ending feel that much more earned and nuanced.
There’s an unmistakable coziness sprinkled into every scene that makes Girl Haunts Boy a spooky season must-watch. The lasting friendship that develops on screen feels honest, gentle, and vulnerable, with bouts of humor that rise from someone from the past stepping into our current society.
Girl Haunts Boy is now streaming on Netflix.
First Featured Image | Official Poster Credit: ©Fifth Season