The following contains spoilers for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, now playing in theaters
Summary
- Phoebe becomes a ghost without dying in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, showcasing new technology.
- Phoebe's desire to be a ghost comes from wanting to help a ghostly friend, Melody.
- Phoebe's spirit returns safely to her body after briefly experiencing ghost existence in the film.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire's characters take the time to theorize about what happens to ghosts after they're captured or make their way to the other side.
Phoebe and Ray both reflect on what existing like a ghost would be, while the potential threat of an overflowing ghost containment unit is brought up multiple times. It gives the film a chance to examine what happens to ghosts after they're captured by the Ghostbusters. This is explored more in-depth by Phoebe later in the film, as she finds a way to briefly experience a ghostly existence. It's an interesting turn for the film to take and highlights some of the new advanced paranormal technology that has been added to the world of Ghostbusters.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Fulfills 1 Character Wish (But Has Tragic Implications)
First footage from Ghostbuster: Frozen Empire sees one character fulfill their wish from the previous movie, but it could come with a tragic cost.
Phoebe Becomes A Ghost Without Dying In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
One of the most surprising parts of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire's ending sees Phoebe briefly become a ghost herself, even though she never actually dies. A lot of the film takes place in the new paranormal research facility backed by Winston, which is dedicated to expanding their understanding of ghosts. This includes a new machine that can pull the spirit from an object or person. This device is primarily used to separate spirits from cursed items that have been brought to the group, and is an indicator of how far their technology has come since the early days of the Ghostbusters.
Phoebe proves that the device also works on living people in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. After expressing curiosity about what it's like to be a ghost with Ray, Phoebe gets the opportunity to experience this first hand. Notably, the device doesn't kill the person. Instead, the machine can be set up to separate a spirit from a physical body for a short span of time. After two minutes, the human regains consciousness and their spirit is automatically is pulled back into their body. This allows Phoebe to briefly showcase a ghost form while still being alive.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is now playing in theaters.
Why Phoebe Wants To Be A Ghost In Frozen Empire
By the time Phoebe becomes a ghost in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Phoebe has felt increasingly overshadowed by her family. She's been benched from the Ghostbusters due to Walter Peck's interference, and her solo investigation alongside Ray and Podcast only causes more destruction — even giving Peck the ammunition he needs to bring down the Ghostbusters once and for all. Phoebe also spends much of the film befriending a ghostly teenager named Melody, who offers a surprising amount of understanding to Phoebe and gives her the reason to briefly become a ghost.
After the two reflect on Melody's inability to touch anyone or anything as a ghost, Phoebe decides to become a ghost so she can finally offer some physical to her friend. This sweet gesture is one of Phoebe's more understated moments of kindness in the film. Phoebe spends Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire trying to bond with Melody, but her desire to be respected as a Ghostbuster leads her to make rash and selfish decisions. While Phoebe's offer to connect with Melody comes from a kind place, it's still a quick decision that ultimately endangers the world.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Still Hasn’t Revealed A Major Character
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire's release date is rapidly approaching, but the sequel's promos have not yet revealed one of its biggest new characters.
How Phoebe's Spirit Returns To Her Body
The device that splits spirits from objects is programmed to restore Phoebe automatically, affording her a safety net while she becomes a ghost. Despite the sweet intention behind Phoebe's decision, this ends up playing into Garraka's plans, who uses its control over ghosts to force Phoebe to unleash it from containment. This was Melody's intention all along, as she'd been convinced by Garraka that he could reunite her with her family. Phoebe's spirit returns to her body at the end of the two-minute timer, sparing her any potentially negative effects of being disconnected from her body.
Phoebe's brief experience as a ghost is a unique element of the Ghostbusters franchise and introduces a new perspective on their efforts to contain ghosts. It allows one of the Ghostbusters to experience how it feels to be one of the things being busted. The film uses Melody as a means to showcase that there can be Ghostbusters can have good or conflicted ghosts, and they aren't all simply monsters to be dealt with, Phoebe's time as a spirit in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire raises some interesting points about the entities the team has been fighting for years.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
- Release Date
- March 22, 2024
- Runtime
- 115 Minutes
- Director
- Gil Kenan
Cast
Mckenna Grace
WHERE TO WATCH
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire continues the story of a new generation of ghost hunters composed of Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Podcast (Logan Kim), who received help from the original team in the previous movie. Paul Rudd returns as Gary Grooberson and franchise co-creator Ivan Reitman returns to write and produce.
- Writers
- Jason Reitman, Gil Kenan
- Franchise(s)
- Ghostbusters
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