Season 1: Ghost World (2001)

With only the plan of moving in together after high school, two unusually devious friends seek direction in life. As a mere gag, they respond to a man's newspaper ad for a date, only to find it will greatly complicate their lives.

Jess' Review

The only reason I’d ever heard of Ghost World (2001) was simply because of Steve Buscemi. He’s one of my all-time favourite actors and back in the day, I had scoured through his filmography to find this quirky, little movie. Needless to say, I thought it time to revisit this and bring Sam (kicking and screaming) along for the ride.

Ghost World is a niche, coming-of-age tale focused on besties Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) and more prominently Enid (Thora Birch) as they navigate their post-high school worlds. As cynical outsiders championing edgy humour, I find myself relating a little too closely to these two.

Teenage Jess in all her emo glory might’ve made this a trio. In truth, perhaps this is why I find this film so easy to enjoy. Yes these characters are unlikable and wholly flawed, but it’s a honest portrayal of misguided youth. Teenagers are thoughtless, selfish and entirely wrapped up in their own tiny universes, and the film captures this perfectly. It’s a character study exploring human growth on a awkwardly sincere level.

Buscemi is great as hapless record-enthusiast Seymour, but really, he’s just another piece of scenery in Enid’s spotlight. It soon becomes apparent that this is her journey, which is challenging considering the character is truly so awful. And yet, I can’t help but pity her. I find Ghost World to be such an emotionally complex film, where sometimes it’s discomforting for us to plunge pass the surface level. Truly, there’s a lot of depth here. The plot does move a little slowly at times and I can understand criticism surrounding this, but for me, it serves as further insight into these characters’ lives.

Whilst I remember the film being funnier on first watch, the humour is still present as bitingly sharp. It’s dark comedy, light and subtle enough to miss at times, but essential for framing the movies’ tone. Really, Ghost World is a sad film. It’s bleak and discomforting in a very realistic way. But perhaps that’s partly down to personal experience. Outgrowing friendships, the inability to move forward and not knowing your place are all themes that scream out to me. And with a talented - and mainly very young cast, juggling these heavy emotions, Ghost World is quite the hidden gem.

7/10

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Sam's Review

Apparently, Ghost World is a cult classic, but it has not aged well. In my humble opinion, the dialogue is a poor imitation of how teenagers speak. It doesn’t flow well, and at times is simply immature. Not to mention the derogatory or racist moments, which made me grimace. I’m not opposed to vulgar language in art, if there is a genuine purpose for its use, but this seemed to be utilised simply so the director could be ‘cool’.

The opening scenes are pointless. If information is being offered, it is lost on me. Skipping the preamble, we meet Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) as they graduate from high school. Faced with the prospect of adulthood, Enid seems lost. The premise is intriguing. Is this a film about a journey of independence? Or perhaps about adulting of your own terms, without bending the knee to the system? No. It’s about an immature and mean-spirited protagonist, who isn’t necessarily a bad person, but is selfish and entitled. While Jess seemed to find them charmingly edgy, Enid’s actions are obnoxious.

I think there’s some attempt at a deeper meaning, and certainly the critical reviews seem glowing, but this film – with its acoustic echo and boring cinematography – feel like a student art project. Unpolished and lacking direction. Birch and Johansson should be lauded for their acting, both capture an awkward adolescence while searching for something more. While lauded as sharp and funny, I found it stale and boring.

There is little in the way of story. The exploration of the protagonist’s alienation should have been fascinating. I’m not against a sincere character study, but she is an entitled brat. Where are her redeeming qualities? Why am I meant to care about her? In the end she whines about being an outcast, whilst being rude and pushing people away. Other people’s feelings be damned, she manipulates them - or just bulldozes them - in her ultimate goal of singularly doing what she wants.

I failed to see its charm. Enid’s isolation could have been the springboard to dive into societal issue, peoples’ judgement, and/or anxiety. It could have been the daunting adventure of a lost youth searching for meaning. Ultimately it felt like rough idea about a girl I couldn’t care about. And I really wanted to. But as the credits rolled, I just felt relieved.

3/10