Ghostbusters
Columbia Pictures | Release Date: July 15, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
60
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 52 Critic Reviews
Positive:
30
Mixed:
19
Negative:
3
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
HitfixDrew McWeenyJul 10, 2016
The original Ghostbusters will always be a classic that means something special to me. The good news is, there’s a whole new generation that’s about to feel that way about this one. And more power to them. Read full review
88
St. Louis Post-DispatchCalvin WilsonJul 14, 2016
This reboot starring some of today’s finest comic actors — male or female — is a wonderfully hilarious and boldly imaginative creation in its own right. Read full review
88
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzJul 10, 2016
Paul Feig’s female-led reboot of the long-dormant franchise is thrilling, hilarious, lovingly crafted and the wild, colourful, giddy blockbuster this otherwise staid summer movie season so desperately needs. Read full review
82
The VergeTasha RobinsonJul 13, 2016
Ghostbusters is a lively, hilarious crowd-pleaser, which is all that's really required of a big summer action comedy. Read full review
80
The GuardianNigel M SmithJul 14, 2016
Though hats are respectfully doffed, this is a four-woman show, deftly managed to allow all the leads – McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones – a chance to showcase their own distinct brands of comedy. Read full review
80
CineVueJoe WalshJul 10, 2016
Yes, the cynical argument that Sony needed a franchise to hold its own against the might of Marvel may have something in it. But put the cynicism aside and what you have is a hilarious action-comedy that puts four great comedic women front and centre, with Feig dexterously balancing homage with originality. Read full review
80
The TelegraphRobbie CollinJul 10, 2016
Its jokes, effects and sparkler-bright cast chemistry need nothing to fall back on. Read full review
80
TimeStephanie ZacharekJul 10, 2016
The movie glows with vitality, thanks largely to the performers, who revel in one another’s company. Read full review
80
Time OutJoshua RothkopfJul 10, 2016
It turns out it’s okay to cross streams: Here’s a summer movie starring a girl squad proud of its big brains and tacky jumpsuits. You could call that a supernatural event in itself. Read full review
75
MTV NewsAmy NicholsonJul 14, 2016
The big CG sequences are less captivating than simply watching the four ladies kick it with a pizza. Wiig and McCarthy nestle into their comfortable roles as the soft-spoken priss and the bustling madwoman, leaving room for Jones to barge in with her big punch lines. But keep your eyes on the background. That’s where Jones’s Saturday Night Live costar McKinnon lurks, quietly transforming herself into a movie star. Read full review
75
USA TodayBrian TruittJul 14, 2016
McCarthy and Wiig are solid as the two pals who have to mend fences amid paranormal goings-on, but Jones is great as the quartet’s boisterous voice of reason and McKinnon is the film’s biggest and quirkiest standout. Read full review
75
New York PostSara StewartJul 14, 2016
Overall, though, Paul Feig’s (“Spy”) reboot of the 1984 classic is a goofy, big-hearted romp. Read full review
75
Charlotte ObserverLawrence ToppmanJul 13, 2016
This good-humored bonding story emphasizes the actresses’ gifts, rather than their gender. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven ReaJul 13, 2016
McCarthy, Wiig, McKinnon, and Jones bring a spirit of spontaneity to their interactions; it's not exactly seat-of-the-pants improv, but it doesn't feel blocked-out and belabored, either. Read full review
75
ConsequenceBlake GobleJul 13, 2016
Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters is sturdy summer entertainment, at once a freaky comedy and an unexpectedly effective action film. Read full review
75
Washington PostAnn HornadayJul 13, 2016
Sunny, slimy and profoundly silly, the new, lady-centric reboot of Ghostbusters immediately silences the backlash and bluster that’s preceded it. Read full review
75
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldJul 11, 2016
What’s crucial here, as in the original film, is the chemistry between the cast members. And though McKinnon’s the standout, the four women click together like Legos. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubJesse HassengerJul 11, 2016
As enjoyable as this movie is, sometimes it feels like it’s holding back; no one’s id runs wild. But the limitations of Ghostbusters make Wiig, McCarthy, McKinnon, and Jones even more valuable. They make a big franchise-starter warmer and more endearing than it needs to be. Read full review
70
SlateDana StevensJul 14, 2016
The real reason to see it — as was the case with the original, and with the past two Feig/McCarthy collaborations, "Bridesmaids" and "Spy" —has to do with the universally excellent cast who establish an easy tone of camaraderie and loopy banter. Read full review
70
SalonAndrew O'HehirJul 13, 2016
Feig’s Ghostbusters is a goofy, free-floating romp with an anarchic spirit of its own, a fresh set of scares and laffs and a moderate dose of girl power that is unlikely to seem confrontational to anyone beyond the most confirmed basement-dwelling Gamergate troll. Read full review
70
The New York TimesManohla DargisJul 10, 2016
Sliding into theaters on a river of slime and an endless supply of good vibes, the new, cheerfully silly Ghostbusters is that rarest of big-studio offerings — a movie that is a lot of enjoyable, disposable fun. Read full review
70
TheWrapRobert AbeleJul 10, 2016
The getting-to-know-them is the best part of this Ghostbusters: these women are a true democratic caucus of funny. That leaves the aforementioned bloat — CGI bigness and the current vogue for drawn-out showdowns — the only nagging glitch, although it’s all slickly rendered by the visual effects team. Read full review
70
Screen DailyTim GriersonJul 10, 2016
This Ghostbusters doesn’t lazily insert the actresses into the original characters’ roles, instead taking the time to come up with new dynamics — and far more pathos — for this quartet. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesJul 13, 2016
The actresses are so quick and so supple, the force of their individual personalities and their irresistible camaraderie hoik the film up from its middling story and scripted jokes. I would have happily stayed in my seat another two hours to continue keeping their company. Just in a better movie. Read full review
67
Tampa Bay TimesSteve PersallJul 13, 2016
Ghostbusters is back, it's not bad, get used to it. Read full review
67
The Film StageJordan RaupJul 10, 2016
While it doesn’t quite reach the height of laughter or thrills of Feig’s best work, Ghostbusters has a persistent dose of rollicking, scrappy fun that the ideal summer blockbuster should contain — all the way past the last credits. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliJul 14, 2016
This is a mediocre horror/comedy that deserves neither high praise nor disparagement. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTy BurrJul 13, 2016
The movie is genial, sloppy, slightly above average summer movie fun. Read full review
63
Rolling StonePeter TraversJul 13, 2016
The big surprise here is McKinnon, also an SNL MVP (her Hillary is already iconic). She's a live-wire whose every gesture, reaction and line-reading seems fresh and off-the-wall — a spontaneous eruption of hellfire hilarity. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineJake ColeJul 12, 2016
When it's good, this new Ghostbusters is funny, driven, sometimes even a bit scary. Read full review
More From This Movie

60 Critic Reviews

2.7 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 71 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL