Hello Ghost (2023) 2023 / An insensitive adaptation that tries to skip straight to the punchline

Not to be confused with the Taiwanese remake, Hello Ghost is the Indonesian adaptation of the 2010 Korean hit. There is one thing to appreciate in this film– it’s clear that the cast, particularly Kresna and his four ghosts, have an easygoing dynamic and playful chemistry with each other. However, the film botches our introduction with their characters. Instead of acknowledging his struggles, Hello Ghost tries to skip straight to the ghosts’ antics and the romance between Kresna and Linda. Without that character set-up, the film’s jokes fall flat, and comes across as an insensitive depiction of suicide and mental illness.