This is a loud, hysterical affair, not a droll one.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 10, 2024

“Blithe Spirit” isn’t without its charms and their are some laugh-out-loud moments of sly dialogue and slapstick humor that really work. But there’s still the feeling that the movie misses an opportunity to be more.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Aug 17, 2022

A fairly lightweight story, meaning this lightweight adaptations flaws dont seem so obvious. Lovers of the 1945 David Lean version, however, wont find anything to dislodge that title from their affections.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 28, 2022

The setting is exquisite, Leslie Mann is frankly fine as the fussing and ectoplasmic Elvira and Judi Dench is endearing as the scammer Madame Arcati. Too bad Dan Stevens is not up to the task, especially with Rex Harrison in mind. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 4, 2021

Irritating. Just irritating.

| Sep 13, 2021

Blithe describes not only the film's essential spirit, but the approach to the filmmaking as a whole.

| Jun 6, 2021

A serviceable but extremely lightweight flight of fancy... This little flick might not hold up to a strict critical evaluation, but as a minor diversion, it might just do the trick.

| May 5, 2021

There's more Madame Arcati, which can only be a bonus when Dench has the role. And there's a riff on the pros and cons of having a ghostwriter that I think is quite clever.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 23, 2021

Leaving aside one's devotion to the previous versions of Blithe Spirit, this latest version is well cast, upbeat and a bit of a rainbow in a time marked so heavily by unwavering rain clouds.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 7, 2021

If there is a single sentence that encapsulates this whole film, it is this: Blithe Spirit simply is not remotely funny.

| Original Score: 2/10 | Apr 5, 2021

The charisma and comedic flare we'd expect is missing in action, with the film failing to recover from its flat prologue.

| Original Score: 1.5/5 | Apr 3, 2021

There are some movies that are so bad that they're entertaining, and there are some movies that are so bad that they're boring. Unfortunately, this Blithe Spirit remake falls into the latter category.

| Apr 2, 2021

Spirited performances and wonderful costume design stand little chance against script and direction that smother sparks beneath slapstick and treacle.

| Apr 1, 2021

No matter the medium, the raconteur's sharp dialogue often amuses. Too bad that the overall effect, in this movie, drops precipitously in time.

| Mar 16, 2021

This will work for anyone who pays for a subscription to Brit Box and few others, but hey, at least it looks pretty.

| Original Score: 4.8/10 | Mar 4, 2021

Blithe Spirit whipsaws between slapstick material with a particular focus on invisible objects, and hoary jokes about erectile dysfunction that are neither frisky nor funny. They just sort of hang in the air like bad spirits.

| Original Score: C- | Feb 27, 2021

There's a lot in the pot ... including some good flavors. This is not, however, a dish that fully comes together.

| Original Score: 6/10 | Feb 26, 2021

Dated and unfunny.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 25, 2021

...a screwball revival with a good cast, which might work for older audiences keen to see a bit of Olde English farce...

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 24, 2021

It's a perfectly fine film. Better than I expected actually, though ultimately, it doesn't live up to its pedigree either in terms of source material or of ensemble...Purists may balk, but honestly, you could do worse.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Feb 23, 2021