The first batch of shorts from Disney’s Launchpad featured Growing Fangs, which has continued to play well annually during the Halloween season. With that in mind, the second batch of shorts includes The Ghost, a family-friendly spooky story that has a little bit of a creep factor but no genuine scares. Ultimately, it’s about family and connection, bringing viewers closer together this fall.
(Disney)
Clarice Chung (Hana Marie Kim) can’t help but feel like a loner in her home. Her mother (Sook Hyung Yang) works long hours, and her father (Eddie Shin) has a disability that requires his family’s assistance. And with her teenage sister Naomi (Andie Ju) about to leave for college, Clarice has withdrawn from her family to focus her attention on playing hockey and her friends. So when a lonely ghost of a girl about her age appears and begins to take Clarice’s family away, she has to quickly decide what’s most important to her.
From Director Erica Eng and writer Kevin Jihyek Park, The Ghost crosses into somewhat familiar territory as Casper (the 1995 live-action film adaptation of the animated series) by virtue of a human finding what’s important in life through a friendly transparent friend. What sets this story apart is its cultural specificity of a Korean-American family. The mother, Doyeon, speaks primarily in Korean and Naomi is bilingual, but it seems that Clarice didn’t get the chance to learn her mother’s native tongue. One of the short’s standout scenes is a moment of clarity between Doyeon and Clarice about learning the language so she can know her mother better.
The titular ghost is named Elena (Ayvah Jordan Vasquez) and gets her own backstory that parallels Clarice’s feelings. Erica Eng has been careful not to overdo the scare factor, and Elena’s appearances are never sudden. Even in moments when the house experiences a blackout, the screen never goes dark enough to lose the visibility of the protagonists. And when Elena “takes” a member of Clarice’s family, they seem happy and calm. There is a creepy quality to the abductions, with their eyes glowing orange as if hypnotized by the ghost child, but it’s unlikely to cause any nightmares.
(Disney)
The theme of this second wave of Disney Launchpad shorts is connection, and The Ghost hits the nail on its head. Through a friendly-ish apparition, the Chung family is able to recenter their priorities and come to a beautiful moment of understanding. It’s spooky yet heartwarming and a welcome addition to the “Hallowstream” lineup.
I give The Ghost 4 out of 5 hockey pucks.
The Ghost premieres Friday, September 29th, exclusively on Disney+ as part of Disney’s Launchpad.
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