Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters is a 2016 supernatural action-comedy film directed by Paul Feig. It is a reboot of the classic Ghostbusters franchise, featuring an all-female lead cast: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth.

Plot Summary

The film follows four women who form a ghost-hunting team when New York City is threatened by supernatural entities.

• Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) is a physicist seeking a stable teaching position at a prestigious university. However, her past research on the paranormal with her former friend Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) resurfaces, ruining her credibility.
• Abby continues her ghost studies with the eccentric inventor Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon). When Erin visits to demand that Abby remove their old book on ghosts from publication, they accidentally witness a real supernatural event.
• Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones), a subway worker with extensive knowledge of New York’s history, joins them. Together, they form the Ghostbusters to investigate the rising paranormal activity in the city.

The team discovers that Rowan North (Neil Casey), a disturbed scientist obsessed with the afterlife, is planning to open a portal between the human world and the spirit realm to unleash an army of ghosts as revenge against humanity. With the help of their handsome but dim-witted assistant, Kevin Beckman (Chris Hemsworth), the Ghostbusters must stop Rowan before it’s too late.

Climax and Ending

Rowan opens the portal, flooding New York with ghosts and turning the city into a supernatural battleground. After being defeated, he commits suicide and transforms into a powerful ghostly entity. The Ghostbusters fight against him as he takes the form of a giant spectral figure.

In a final act of heroism, they jump into the portal to seal it, preventing the destruction of the city. They succeed and emerge as heroes.

In the post-credit scene, the team picks up a mysterious signal referencing "Zuul," hinting at the return of a demonic entity from the original Ghostbusters films.

Reception and Impact

The movie received mixed reviews. Some praised the comedic performances and action sequences, while many fans of the original franchise were unhappy with the changes in cast and storyline. Despite the controversy, Ghostbusters (2016) remains an important installment in the franchise, paving the way for later sequels such as Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021).