In the 1920s, a curious young woman named Bea (Peyton List) is visiting a museum with her family when she steals one half of a ring from a display. Shortly after, she is hit by a car and killed. Fast forward to the present day, when a 17-year-old boy named Cole (Michael Cimino) moves into a new home with his mother, both grieving the loss of his father.

Cole soon finds the ring Bea stole nearly a century earlier. When he puts it on, Bea appears in her ghostly form. The two bond and form an unlikely friendship, which is tested when Bea has a chance to move on to the afterlife.

Girl Haunts Boy is a lovely little romantic dramedy that is surprisingly emotional and perfect for this time of year. It has its humorous moments, especially as Bea finally escapes the confines of her home to experience what life is like in 2024, but ultimately, the movie is a tender story about two lost people healing from their grief together.

Bea is both charming and free-spirited, but I’m not sure her character was developed as fully as it could have been, considering she lived in the 1920s. So, it’s Cole who anchors the film – we see him as the new kid at school, hiding his intelligence to fit in and awkwardly navigating a potential friendship with a “psychic” schoolmate. He and his mother share some sweet scenes about Cole’s father’s passing, but we never learn much about Bea’s family beyond the fact that her parents were musicians. That seems designed to further bond Bea and Cole, as Cole plays guitar and used to play with his father.

The strength of Girl Haunts Boy is in the blossoming friendship between Bea and Cole. The cursed ring that Bea stole so many years ago is never fully explained, except that if the ring is returned to its other half, Bea can break the curse and “move on”.

Unfortunately, Cole has come to depend on Bea and can’t quite bring himself to let her go. If you think too deeply about the circumstances surrounding the cursed ring – and the ghostly rules of Bea’s existence – you’ll find that not a lot of it makes sense without a deeper explanation, which we never get. However! I found I didn’t mind much because I felt the story was more about Cole finding a way out of the grief that was holding him hostage than about the circumstances that kept Bea from moving on to the afterlife.

List and Cimino share a lovely chemistry on screen, but the romantic aspect of their relationship is lacking. Most of their interactions are rather platonic, so when there is suddenly a spark of romance, it comes across as hurried and contrived. Had there been some more believable build-up to their ghostly romance, I think I would have enjoyed it more, but as it was, I would have much rather Bea and Cole remained friends.

I still think Girl Haunts Boy is worth watching, especially if you prefer your spooky movies with a lighter touch, like, say, Hocus Pocus. It’s a heartwarming film with cozy, lived-in sets and charming performances from its leads. This movie was built for the fall season, and it’s perfect for a chilly day when you just want to stay wrapped up in a blanket and watch some feel-good films.

Watched: 10/14/2024
Notable Song: Still Haunted By You by Michael Cimino