Are you still chasing the highs of watching a Disney Channel Original Film during Monstober? Do you believe Girl vs. Monster and Julie and the Phantoms are cultural masterpieces that deserve more respect? Well then, Girl Haunts Boy is the perfect watch for you this spooky season.
Written by Cesar Vitale and directed by Emily Ting, this young adult film is all adorable fall fluff and harmless frights as it brews a beautifully cliche romance between a boy and a ghost.
Resurrecting the old Hollywood aesthetics of The Great Gatsby and the haunting intrigue of gothic architecture, this movie combines cute storytelling and cozy sets for a spooktacular fall watch.
By expertly mimicking the Disney Channel Original Movie formula, Girl Haunts Boy elevates its low-stakes love story with nostalgic storytelling beats and lived-in sets. These are the films Halloween raised us on, and if it takes a silly curse to return us to the days of movie marathons on our parent’s couch, then let’s steal all the cursed rings.
Girl Haunts Boy has heart. It also has some killer sets.
The set pieces are the star of the show, fleshing out this world in ways verbal storytelling cannot always do. Each set has a story mapped out on its walls while still appealing to the clash between teenage aesthetics and creaky old houses. The standout is Cole’s bedroom, with its church-like architecture and contrasting music posters littering his walls.
This is a fascinating way to flesh out Bea and Cole’s worlds and their love for music with visual storytelling.
The sets elevate the performances of our leading teens with a lived-in authenticity that makes it much easier to buy into their more emotional performances.
At the end of the day, no town would actually have a “supernatural book store” and speak about it so casually. Nor would you be able to break into the National History Museum with such ease. But when a story backs up the unbelievable with eye-catching set designs, we are much more willing to believe this fantastical world exists separate from reason.
Peyton List and Michael Cimino deliver strong performances, helping balance the sickeningly sweet romantic beats with the deeper themes of grief and loss.
These two skilled actors make this trope-filled teen romance digestible thanks to cute chemistry and previous experience navigating these teenage coming-of-age tales.
If you can overlook the minimal world-building and the logistical nightmares of fictional New York, you will be rewarded with a harmless Halloween romp that simply wants to entertain with swoon-worthy serenades.
Bea’s bubbly personality and Cole’s ability to nail the grand romantic gesture will put a huge smile on your face. Meanwhile, the ancient curses and creaking floorboards take you back to the days of fun fall flicks like Halloween Town and My Babysitter’s a Vampire.
Come for the cozy scares and cute romantic beats, but stay for the delightful ending to this love story. Much like the rest of this spooky rom-com, it won’t disappoint.
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Girl Haunts Boy is now streaming on Netflix and Prime Video.
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