A group of misfits band together to investigate mysterious goings-on at an old farmhouse in the utterly unfunny Ghost Team. Louis (Heder) and his sad-sack friend Stan (Krumholtz) are trying to escape their humdrum lifestyles (Louis from his dead-end job at a copy store, Stan from the depression caused by his fiancée’s departure). The two find kindred spirits in Zak (Downs), Ross (Long), Victoria (Sedaris), and Ellie (Diaz). The makeshift Scooby-Doo team piles into a van to hunt some ghosts but ends up uncovering a much more banal situation.
Ghost Team is, on the one hand, an increasingly stale parody of the paranormal television subgenre of reality shows, and on the other, a tired tale of empowerment, as each character has his or her “moment” to shine. The script is a first draft, the jokes are puerile, and everything is ludicrously telegraphed. The film is a perpetual series of build-ups that end up going nowhere. Even with the short running time, Ghost Team slogs along for an eternity. Avoid this unfortunate misfire at all costs.
This article appears in September 9 • 2016.