GHOSTED

Ghosted features the wonderful pairing of Ana de Armas and Chris Evans who light up this generic but fun action packed romantic comedy, making for a fun movie night in.

Ana de Armas and Chris Evans are two of the biggest names in Hollywood currently, and while they have previously been in two films together, Evans has always been the villain and Ana one of the good guys. While they have had scenes together in Knives Out and The Gray Man, their roles naturally never got a ton of time together for obvious reasons, but their latest film fixes that. From director Dexter Fletcher, who has recently helmed such hits as Rocketman and Eddie the Eagle, Ghosted is a throwback to the action romantic comedies of the early 2000s that does not reinvent the genre, but makes for a very enjoyable watch.

Cole thinks that he has met the woman of his dreams in Sadie after a magical day together. Not being able to control himself, Cole will not stop texting her, but to no response. Fearing that Sadie has ghosted him, Cole makes a spontaneous trip to London to find Sadie. However, in a case of mistaken identity, Cole is kidnapped by an international arms dealer set on extracting the passcode to unlock access to a weapon of mass destruction. Before they can torture him to extract the passcode, Cole is rescued by Sadie, who is in fact the secret agent the arms dealer was looking for, setting Cole and Sadie off on an international adventure to save the world before they can figure out their relationship status.

In terms of story, there are no real curve balls to be found in Ghosted. Boy meets girl, falls head over heels in love, texts her constantly to no reply, discovers that she is a secret agent, and the two of them save the world and fall in love. It is a stock storyline that we have seen before in the romantic comedy genre, but the writers fill the script with lots of cute romantic comedy moments. Cole and Saddie’s meet cute is memorable, followed by an romantic night together, while the action sequences are a lot of fun. There are car chases, hand to hand combat, bullets flying and explosions galore, ensuring that the film never hits a lull during the entire run time. Yes, the CGI is not particularly attractive, especially during the film’s final act which features a very fun action set piece, though while it is obvious to the eye, it never detracts from the fun atmosphere of the film.

The main attraction here is the pairing of Evans and de Armas, and what a team they make! Their romantic chemistry will get you swooning as you watch them fall for each other in the film’s opening twenty minutes. There is a delicate and sweet playfulness between them that feels like it is the start of something truly special, and the ongoing cactus joke between them throughout the film is adorable. Then, once it is revealed that Sadie is a spy, they find a great comedic banter as they get all worked up and cross with each other, while still keeping that romantic flame burning just beneath the surface.

Evans is a delight as always, playing against his usual casting of either the hero or sociopathic villain, this time as just an average and somewhat clumsy everyday guy. This allows de Armas to be the film’s lead, and she is mesmerizing as Sadie. Yes, we all know that she is gorgeous and can easily be the lead in a romantic comedy with her effortless charm, but building on her smaller roles in No Time to Die and The Gray Man, she is a true action star. de Armas lights up the screen during the action sequences with her great stunt work, making herself a ruthless force to be reckoned with, while slowly breaking down Sadie’s walls and making sure that Cole is protected during these moments as she realizes that she is in love with him. It’s a great taste of what she will bring to Ballerina next year, and I for one cannot wait to see her in the John Wick universe in a much larger action set role!

With the majority of the film focused on Evans and de Armas, the supporting cast does not have a lot of time to shine. Adrien Brody does his best mustache twirling Bond villain impression with a ridiculous accent, and while he is not bad and of no fault of his own, his character feels out of place from the rest of the film which takes itself a bit more seriously than his goofy character. Amy Sedaris, Tate Donovan and Lizze Broadway generate some great laughs as Cole’s family in the five minutes of the film they are in, while the rest of the supporting cast has a scene or two but don’t leave a lasting impression. However, it is the celebrity cameos sprinkled throughout the film that create some of the funniest moments as you see Evans and de Armas’s real life friends show up for a quick appearance, leading to one of the most memorable scenes of the film featuring a never ending parade of assassins.

While it does not reinvent the romantic comedy genre by any means, Dexter Fletcher knows exactly what makes this genre a crowd pleaser and delivers those exact moments that audiences want, while leaning heavily into the wonderful chemistry of his two leads. Ana de Armas stuns as the heroine of the film, dazzling in the action sequences and creating a wonderful romantic connection with the ever charming Chris Evans, making Ghosted an incredibly cute and very entertaining romantic comedy for your next date night.