The creative forces behind the acclaimed Ghosts television series successfully live up to expectations with their new feature film follow-up, Ghosts: The Possession of Button House.
Creators Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond, with returning director Simon Hynd, pick up where the UK television series left off in Christmas 2023.
What is ‘Ghosts’?
After teaching a generation of UK children with Horrible Histories, Baynton, Farnaby, Howe-Douglas, Howick, Rickard and Willbond created an international hit with Ghosts.
The show launched on the BBC in 2019, ran for five seasons, and is essentially a house-share sitcom with characters stuck in the afterlife.
As Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike Cooper (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) inherit the Button estate, the incumbent ghosts quickly hatch a plan to evict the new arrivals.
That ultimately leads to disgraced, trouserless politician Julian (Farnaby) using his ghostly fits to push Alison out of a high window.
When she recovers, Mrs Cooper can see and hear the ghosts of Button House.
The series thrived on physical comedy, silly innuendo and genuine heart, making you laugh hysterically one moment, and reach for the tissues the next.
The show’s success spawned remakes for U.S., Australian and several European audiences.
‘The Possession of Button House’
The Possession of Button House picks things up 100 days after the 2023 finale of Ghosts.
Alison, Mike and baby Mia are no longer around, and our ghosts are going mad with boredom as work turning Button House into a hotel resort has stalled.
To make matters worse, a group of protestors threaten to derail the hotel project entirely, and the ghosts fear that life will never return to Button House.
Things drastically change when a group of young teenagers, led by Scott Ellis Watson’s Jack, break into the house and use a Ouija board, ultimately leading to Julian taking possession of Jack’s body.
The remaining ghosts task Julian with finding Alison and convincing her to call off the protestors.
But with Jack’s spirit left at Button House, Julian and the rest of the ghosts must race against time to save their home and a young boy’s life.
Why this film will put a smile on your face
Fans of the original series will love every minute of Ghosts: The Possession of Button House.
With the original cast and creators returning, the love and care poured into the film are evident – even director Hynd helmed 15 episodes of the original series.
So, Regency-era poet Thomas (Baynton) is still ridiculously lovestruck by Alison.
Georgian noblewoman Kitty (played by the incredible Lolly Adefope) is still a giddy, chaotic mess.
1980s Scout master Pat (Howick) is still a glass-half-full man intent on boosting group morale.
Fanny Button (Howe-Douglas) is still a busybody, and The Captain (Willbond) still gives out orders as if WW2 is still at play – although his homosexuality is more of an open secret, which makes him slightly more liberated than before.
Julian is very much still Julian, and caveman Robin (Rickard) is still a wonderful blend of Neanderthal tendencies and moments of pure intellect.
And then there is the headless corpse of Humphrey and Humphrey’s poor, corpseless head (also played by Rickard).
Seeing these characters you grew to love on the big screen is a sheer delight, and the cast/creators play to their comedic characters’ best traits.
What’s more, side characters from the TV show, such as the ghosts of the plague pit and the annoying neighbour Barclay (Geoff McGivern), make a return.
The film also does a fine job of expanding upon the television series, rather than feeling like an extended episode.
This is a genuine feature film plot, covering ground never trod by the series, making the laughs more genuine, and the heartfelt moments more poignant.
Moreover, injecting young Jack into the mix is a further spin which the film relishes in, pitting the Ghosts against teenage presence for the first time.
Put simply, Ghosts: The Possession of Button House is everything you want it to be.
Sure, viewers who haven’t seen the show may have to quickly catch up on things; but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who isn’t taken in by the joy this film brings.
Rating: 10/10
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