Shadows on the Wall

Ghosted

dir Dexter Fletcher
scr Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers
prd David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Chris Evans, Jules Daly
with Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Adrien Brody, Mike Moh, Amy Sedaris, Tate Donovan, Lizze Broadway, Mustafa Shakir, Tim Blake Nelson, Marwan Kenzari, Anna Deveare Smith, Tiya Sircar, John Cho, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Ryan Reynolds
release US/UK 21.Apr.23
23/US Apple 1h56

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Wrapping an energetic action romp within a sharp romantic comedy, this movie maintains a smart, witty tone even when things get violent. Directed with offhanded charm by Dexter Fletcher, the sparky cast isn't afraid to get goofy. Amid the scrappy action, a stream of nutty cameos adds a superb sense of unpredictability to a corny plot that has something to do with a biological weapon. Not that it matters.

Working in a Washington, DC, street market, recently single farmer Cole (Evans) doesn't want to sell a potted plant to art curator Sadie (de Armas) after she admits she travels a lot. But their spark of attraction leads to a day out together, which blossoms into what might become a new relationship. Then when Sadie ghosts him, Cole impulsively decides to surprise her in London. And he stumbles into a dangerous situation, because Sadie is actually a CIA operative. Before Cole knows what's happening, they're being chased by a ruthless villain (Brody) in rural Pakistan.

All of this is very silly, but it's played with a disarming charm. And everything is complicated because the characters have their own underlying issues. The timid city boy Cole proves to be more than a little needy, then finds himself in all manner of insane action situations. Sadie speaks about how she has refused to be scared by anything after escaping from her birth country on a raft at age 6. Along the way, they run into a series of shady spies as well as bounty hunters who are chasing a big cash payout.

While their endless bickering is a little tiresome, Evans and de Armas find textures in their characters that make Cole and Sadie likeable. When they do manage to connect, there's strongly engaging chemistry on-screen, so we might not mind it spinning out into a franchise. The cast around them play it largely straight, apart from the hilarious series of one-scene players who camp it up as cavalier spies, snarling villains or greedy mercenaries, including a few of Sadie's exes.

While the mix of outrageous action mayhem and sweet romance isn't always convincing, this is a thoroughly entertaining bit of nonsense. The thriller narrative gets increasingly preposterous with each set-piece, and the rocky road to love is thoroughly predictable as it approaches a flat-out ridiculous finale. Yet the movie still draws us in with humour that alternates between absurd and cheesy, plus a gentle undercurrent of intrigue.

themes, language, violence 18.Apr.23

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