Why ‘Ghosted’ on Apple TV+ Fails to Impress Despite A-List Cast

It’s difficult to deny that it takes a lot of effort to take a spy story with A-list actors like Ana de Armas and Chris Evans and turn it into a lackluster, cringe-worthy movie like Ghosted. The film has received a dismal 29% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it’s not hard to see why. One reviewer from The Daily Beast even remarked that it seemed like ChatGPT had written the script for this new Apple TV+ release. The story follows Evans’ character, Cole, as he falls for the captivating Sadie, played by de Armas, who turns out to be a secret agent. The movie takes a predictable turn when Sadie is called away on a mission, leaving the fate of their relationship in balance.

The only saving grace of Ghosted is the undeniable likability of its stars, Ana de Armas and Chris Evans, who manage to keep the audience engaged despite the absurdity of the plot. The movie tries to flip the script on the typical damsel-in-distress trope by making Evans’ character, Cole, the one in need of rescue after he becomes embroiled in Sadie’s (de Armas) dangerous world.

The cast also includes Adrian Brody, Mike Moh, Amy Sedaris, Tim Blake Nelson, and Tate Donovan, while the movie was directed by Dexter Fletcher and written by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Chris McKenna, and Erik Sommers. Interestingly, de Armas also serves as an executive producer.

As an avid fan of Apple’s streaming service, I remain hopeful that it will produce more compelling films like the recently released Tetris. During the Apple TV+ launch event in 2019, CEO Tim Cook proclaimed that “great storytellers can change the world.” Unfortunately, lackluster romantic comedies such as Ghosted fall far short of that promise.