Editor’s Note: A Ghost Story is currently playing in limited theatrical release.
David Lowery, throughout the few films he’s made, has proved himself to be a unique, distinctive voice – one heavily inspired by the works of filmmakers such as Terrence Malick and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, yet still retaining enough of his individual style to be more than a mere imitator. Lowery’s brand of visual storytelling makes him one of the most interesting directors working. Breaking out with his 2013 feature Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Lowery has grown as a filmmaker – through the refinement of his visual capabilities as well as strengthening his story elements. With A Ghost Story, we see Lowery at his absolute best.
David Lowery’s A Ghost Story is one of the most interesting, unique takes on grief ever put to film.
A unique film in both the way it’s told and the style that Lowery uses, A Ghost Story is almost certainly not the film you’d expect it to be. Whether you’re going in expecting Lowery’s style from his prior films, or just a typical indie film – you’re in for a film that will subvert all your expectations. It is a film that can be described only as slow burn cinema – gorgeous long takes coupled with poetic moments of silence that fill the film. And that’s probably the best word to describe the film, poetic; every element in the frame is important to advancing the story in some way. Sitting at a mere 87 minutes, the film feels the perfect length. It lasts long enough to delve into the complexities of the characters, while never outstaying its welcome.
As expected, the cinematography in the film is incredible, and for any other film this would’ve been the standout element in the film. But with A Ghost Story, that’s only one of many reasons for why the film is successful. The main standout, at least for me, is Casey Affleck, who remains under a bed sheet for nearly the entire length of the film. Through his slow, sluggish movements alone, we are introduced to the fractured life of his character – something never achieved before in cinema before. The minimal amounts of dialogue works to Lowery’s advantage, allowing him to use the full range of Affleck’s and Mara’s acting capabilities. The nature of their performance is anything but conventional, but it’s undeniably powerful.
It is a film that can be described only as slow burn cinema – gorgeous long takes coupled with poetic moments of silence that fill the film. And that’s probably the best word to describe the film, poetic; every element in the frame is important to advancing the story in some way.
David Lowery’s A Ghost Story is one of the most interesting, unique takes on grief ever put to film. He understands that real lives don’t often take recognizable shapes – rather, what we recognize the most from Lowery’s film is the monotony that occupies the majority of our lives. He understands that grief doesn’t always involve continuous tears, and he doesn’t intend to mislead us into believing that. Instead, he instills in us a sense of familiarity; one that’s familiar to anyone who’s ever lost something of importance. It’s through the simultaneous interaction between character and audience that we start to see a recognizable story – one that is personal, familiar and poetic.
Breaking out with his 2013 feature Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Lowery has grown as a filmmaker – through the refinement of his visual capabilities as well as strengthening his story elements. With A Ghost Story, we see Lowery at his absolute best.
