🎬 Overview
Dexter Fletcher’s 2023 film Ghosted merges romantic elements with action and comedy, creating a lighthearted romance intertwined with an espionage narrative. It features Chris Evans as lovelorn farmer Cole Turner, and Ana de Armas as Sadie Rhodes, a deadly CIA Operative. It attempts to blend two contrasting genres, “boy meets girl” rom-com and a spy thriller, and the result is a stylish yet unbalanced fusion of charm, humor, and action.
Ghosted is one of the most-watched films on Apple TV+, where it was released in April 2023, but has received lukewarm reviews from critics. This can be attributed to the attempt of subverting genre expectations by placing the passive role of the ‘damsel in distress’ onto the male character. The screenplay was written by a team including Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Chris McKenna, and Erik Sommers, known for high-octane blockbusters.
📘 Plot Summary
The film begins with Cole Turner, a kind-hearted and straight forward farmer from Washington D.C. He encounters a mysterious woman, Sadie Rhodes, at a farmer’s market. Their meet-cute is warm and quirky. After a marathon date, Cole thinks he has found the love of his life. To his shock, when he texts her after the date, she does not reply. Days pass, and like the title suggests, she has indeed ghosted him.
Whisked away to London and then Pakistan, Cole is abruptly kidnapped by arms dealers who mistake him for the legendary spy “The Taxman.” This all happens while Sadie, his ex-wife, is on the run from him for reasons unknown to him. Following a convoluted set of events, Sadie ends up rescuing him, and we return to the “Cole and Sadie” part of the story.
Cole and Sadie figure out that Sadie is on a mission to retrieve a stolen bioweapon, which is what creates the snarky series of events that brings two leads across the globe while eluding international assassins. Cole finds out more about his ex-wife while he tries to protect her, all the while longing to ache a semblance of normalcy.
In the plot, lulled over by Brody’s deep voice is played Leveque, an international arms dealer who plans to auction off the bioweapon. Leveque is accompanied by his mercenaries who appear as the main antagonists of the movie, competing against Cole and Sadie for the prize.
By the end of the film, Cole and Sadie have successfully stopped the sale of the bioweapon in a climactic battle at a spinning restaurant located high over a city. After defeating the villains, Cole returns to his farm—with Sadie now accompanying him.
👥 Cast & Characters
Chris Evans as Cole Turner: As a well-known action star, Evans plays “Cole,” a gentle and emotionally vulnerable character, in a role that is refreshing and different for him. While he approaches the role with a lighthearted sincerity that works, critics point out that the script does not allow him to fully showcase his character’s range.
Ana de Armas as Sadie Rhodes: De Armas plays one of the lead characters, a CIA agent with a wounded heart. She brings a physicality and intensity and as a more guarded counterbalance to Evans. Their chemistry was much discussed given that they had worked together in Knives Out and The Gray Man.
Adrien Brody as Leveque: Brody plays a stylish villain, though his character is underwritten. He brings a dramatic flair to the role of the suave antagonist even though the script does not provide him much to grab on to.
Supporting Cast: Amy Sedaris, Tate Donovan, and Lizze Broadway depict Cole’s family and balance the humor with emotional depth. Furthermore, cameo roles by action genre stars Anthony Mackie, John Cho, and Sebastian Stan serve as Easter eggs for fans.
🎥 Direction, Style & Cinematography
Dexter Fletcher, the director, enhances the film with a sleek and commercial polish. He intertwines vibrant set pieces with sleek action choreography. Exotic locations, chase scenes in cities and deserts, and glossy costumes all contribute to visually dynamic film. Fletcher’s rhythmic style, shaped by his experience on musical biopics, infuses the film with a distinctive rhythm, although the sudden shifts from romance to espionage can feel jarring.
Fletcher’s stylistic choices are accompanied by Salvatore Totino, who brings cinematic flair as the film’s cinematographer, especially during the action sequences. Lorne Balfe’s musical score underlines the film’s comedic and suspenseful moments. However, the score at times overly emphasizes on the emotions instead of allowing the performances to take the forefront.
📚 Themes & Analysis
- Role Reversal and Gender Dynamics
In Ghosted, perhaps the most jarring feature is the inversion of romantic roles. Cole is both emotionally available and frequently overwhelmed, in contrast to Sadie, who is emotionally guarded and in control. The film seeks to refresh the spy genre by casting a man in the “rescued” character role.
- The Illusion of Connection
Ghosting serves as a central premise of the plot. Romantic tension hinges on the notion that no matter how deep the connection, it can disappear in an instant, echoing contemporary dating anxieties.
- Blending of Genres
The film aspires to appeal to a larger audience with the incorporation of action-thriller elements into a rom-com. While this is aimed at providing a blended experience, some critics claimed that the lack of balance between romance and action undermines both of the genres.
📈 Critical Reception
The critics’ consensus focused on the lackluster dialogue as well as the chemistry and plot predictability. While some noted the visual style and the film’s wit, others felt that the film was, at best, visually appealing, but ultimately did not offer anything innovative.
In contrast, the broader audience was more lenient. They enjoyed the film’s pace, escaping reality through its star-studded cast, leading to it becoming one of Apple TV+’s most streamed original movies.
🧭 Conclusion
This entertainment vehicle is indeed free of a substantial message. It combines different genres, but it never deeply explores any of them, remaining wholly on the surface. While it features the exploration of some moral dilemmas, the journey is shallow and meant for pure fun. The two main characters are charming, but the film does not seek to evoke deeper emotions and is instead intended for a more relaxed viewing experience. It will likely be unsatisfying to those craving further depth, true romance, or sophisticated plotlines, but balances effortless viewing with breakneck pacing and a cast overflowing with A-listers.
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