Netflix and Chills: Girl Haunts Boy (2024)

“Girl Haunts Boy” is a surprisingly emotional, feel-good flick with a sprinkling of spooky and a wallop of well-realized character drama.

For many of you, a sweet and charming YA supernatural romance isn’t your bag, and nothing I could say about Emily Ting’s surprisingly emotional Girl Haunts Boy, written by Cesar Vitale and adapted from his upcoming book, is going to make it your bag.

But many of you have kids you like to watch slightly spooky but family-friendly films with. Others may like a good feel-good palate cleanser between their hard-R horror or crave the nostalgic comfort of the gateway horror films from their youth. And some of you secretly hide an ooey-gooey, sugary center in your heart of darkness.

If any of that describes you, GIRL HAUNTS BOY is everything you want it to be—a sweet and poignant exploration of love, loss, loneliness, and the agony and ecstasy of coming of age.

The story begins with a brief introduction to Bea Jenkins in the 1920s, accompanying her classmates on a school field trip to the Natural History Museum. Bea is played by the always-engaging Peyton List, who previously played a bewitching spirit searching for answers in the excellent and underrated series School Spirits.

Bea is a precocious, curious, and free-spirited teen girl who doesn’t like to be told what she can’t do. Her adventurous spirit leads her to sneak off into a part of the museum closed to the public. There, she discovers an ancient ring in a display case she can’t help but be drawn to. After heisting the ring, she quickly meets her untimely end.

Fast-forward to the present day, Cole (Michael Cimino) moves into a new home with his mother (Andrea Navedo) following the sudden death of his father.

When Cole discovers the ring Bea snagged at the film’s beginning, he puts it on. Suddenly, he can see Bea’s ghost. She’s been haunting her old home for a hundred years, her spirit unable to move on—though she doesn’t realize how long she’s been dead or why she appears to be trapped.

One thing she does know is it has been a devastatingly lonely existence, and the thought of having another soul to connect with is exhilarating.

Cole, too, is desperate for human connection, and the two become fast friends as Cole introduces Bea to everything she missed since she’s been gone.

This leads us to one of the most delightful and genuine segments in the film: Cole catching Bea up on the last century of music history. It’s similar to the exquisite romantic horror film Only Lovers Alive in exploring how art and music serve as the connective tissue for all of time and the unifying soul of humanity.

The endearing meet-cute romance, which comes alive thanks to the effortless chemistry between the two likable leads, is elevated by a smart script, dazzling set pieces, and genuine emotional gravitas.

The supernatural elements, including the mystery of Bea’s spiritual limbo, are never really spooky, but they add depth to the narrative. They’re the catalyst for tying two lost souls together—one whose life was too quickly snuffed out and one who finds himself sleepwalking through life due to his inability to let go of the past. Both desperately need to move on.

While Bea passionately embraces her opportunity to grow and move past who she was, Cole can’t bear having his life upended again. He craves stability and comfort and fears loss so much that he can’t let himself embrace joy in the here and now.

Bea’s glimmering arrival into his bleak world helps Cole understand the nature of love and the gift it offers, even when you know it’s fleeting.

Her zest for life, even in death, helps shake him out of his emotional slumber.

In a delightful treat for literary fans, Girl Haunts Boy cleverly and poignantly uses F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby to emphasize the film’s themes of aching love, self-discovery, and the painful yet healing art of letting go.

The film’s ending is not a fairytale, yet it is gorgeously realized.

Massive kudos to the film for not giving the film the kind of saccharine, happily-ever-after closure that is so typical of stories like these. Whereas other films, especially those geared to a YA audience, would have centered a tale around romantic ideas of eternal love overcoming all odds, Girl Haunts Boy takes a more meditative and meaningful approach.

Love may not last forever, but the profound impact the right person at the right time can make on your life can last a lifetime.

Ultimately, Girl Haunts Boy is a cozy Fall treat eager to envelop you in its warmth and tenderness, delivering just enough spooky vibes to make it the perfect October watch.