Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is the latest installment in the long-running supernatural comedy franchise, bringing together both the original Ghostbusters and the new generation of the Spengler family. This sci-fi/horror/comedy film sees the team, now based in the iconic New York City firehouse, face a powerful ancient entity known as Garraka, who seeks to unleash an icy apocalypse upon the world. The narrative blends comedic elements with intense supernatural threats, focusing on themes of family, legacy, and self-discovery within the context of saving humanity from a chilling fate. The film is designed to appeal to both long-time fans of the franchise and new audiences, offering a mix of nostalgia and fresh character dynamics.
Concerns
Violence
HighGhostbusters: Frozen Empire contains frequent and intense supernatural violence, including graphic depictions of characters being frozen and shattered, disturbing transformations, and cartoonish but impactful harm to smaller ghost creatures. The violence is a central element of the conflict with the antagonist, Garraka.
Many frozen corpses are seen, and some explode or shatter into pieces. For instance, a man is frozen and impaled by ice spikes, then shatters. The demon antagonist, Garraka, is shown in a 'disturbing and disgusting scene' inserting horns into its own head. Additionally, smaller, often comedic, marshmallow ghosts are 'shot, impaled, squished, stabbed and smashed,' including one having its arm ground in a pencil sharpener.
Witchcraft & Occult
HighThe film is heavily steeped in occult themes and a worldview that directly conflicts with Christian beliefs. It portrays communication with spirits, ancient gods, and a concept of the afterlife that rejects Christian tenets of Heaven and Hell, replacing them with a 'uniting with the Universe' idea.
The movie centers around paranormal activities, ghosts, and an 'evil ancient god' named Garraka who seeks to conquer the world. Phoebe communicates with Melody, a 'real ghost' who talks about 'unfinished business' keeping her tied to the 'earthly plane' and the prospect of 'uniting with the Universe' after she moves on, directly contradicting Christian teachings on the afterlife. Ray Stantz operates a paranormal shop specializing in 'occult texts and finding haunted objects,' and a device is used to extract spirits from objects, with Phoebe even using it to 'briefly become a ghost by pulling her own spirit from her body'.
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe film features highly scary and intense content, including numerous frightening ghosts and creatures, jump scares, and disturbing imagery related to the main antagonist and its powers. The threat of a global ice age and characters facing peril contributes to a suspenseful and potentially frightening atmosphere.
The movie is described as 'more serious and scary than fun and funny,' containing many 'scary-looking ghosts and creatures' and jump scares. A particular scene shows a 'dark, menacing creature with glowing eyes' that advances closely, accompanied by intense, eerie music. The demon Garraka shoves horns into its head in a 'disturbing and disgusting scene,' and characters are threatened with being frozen to death, creating significant peril and fear.
Anti-Christian Themes
HighThe movie contains strong anti-Christian themes, primarily through its depiction of the afterlife and the spiritual realm. It presents an 'occult worldview' and 'false religion' that explicitly rejects the biblical concepts of Heaven and Hell, offering an alternative spiritual destiny.
The film's portrayal of the afterlife, particularly through Melody's character, suggests that spirits resolve 'unfinished business' to 'unite with the Universe,' a concept that 'totally rejects the Christian, biblical belief in Heaven and Hell'. Christian review outlets identify this as a 'strong occult worldview with false religion' and note that the film lacks 'ultimate justice and objective morality' in its spiritual framework. Additionally, some Christian reviews mention 'WOKE IDEOLOGY: Moderate' due to the 'belittling of marriage' by portraying Gary as a 'dad' figure without marrying Callie.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
MediumThe film features a significant 'queer-coded' or 'implied lesbian attraction' between the teenage protagonist Phoebe Spengler and a ghost girl named Melody. Their relationship is depicted with an emotional intensity that some reviewers interpret as romantic, including Phoebe expressing a desire to become a ghost to be with Melody. While not explicitly stated, this subtext is a notable element of Phoebe’s storyline and is widely discussed in reviews and fan communities.
Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna Grace) develops an intense connection with Melody (Emily Alyn Lind), a ghost girl she meets playing chess. Critics and viewers note that their interactions are 'queer-coded,' implying a romantic connection without explicit dialogue. For example, Phoebe asks Ray Stantz if he's ever considered becoming a ghost, signaling a desire to exist on the same plane as Melody, who she feels understands her. This relationship is central to Phoebe's emotional arc of self-discovery.
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumThe film includes mild sexual content, primarily through suggestive dialogue and brief visual elements rather than explicit scenes. There are several sexual innuendos and jokes, along with some revealing attire in a fleeting scene.
Various sexual innuendos are spoken, such as references to 'the parents getting action,' a mention of something appearing to be a 'sex dungeon,' and 'sex jokes' and the word 'horny' being used. A scene depicts beachgoers in bikinis fleeing from an approaching supernatural winter storm, which is brief.
Profanity
MediumModerate profanity is present throughout the film. This includes instances of taking the Lord's name in vain and other common curse words. While not excessively pervasive, the language is stronger than typically found in media for younger audiences.
The Lord's name is taken in vain twice with phrases like 'Oh my G**'. Other inappropriate language heard includes 'h*ll' (4x), 'a**-h***' (3x), 'a**' (1x), 'scr*wed' (1x), 'testic**' (1x), 'sh**' (1x), 'h**kers' (1x), 's*cks' (1x), 'devil' (1x), and 'demons' (1x).
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe film portrays instances of disrespect and rebellion, particularly through the actions of the teenage protagonist, Phoebe, who defies parental authority. The Ghostbusters as a whole also cause collateral damage that draws the ire of city officials.
Phoebe, a 15-year-old, is 'benched' from ghost-busting by her stepfather Gary due to her age, yet she proceeds to engage in ghost-related activities and forms a relationship with the ghost, Melody, against her family's wishes. In one scene, Phoebe ignores her mother Callie's direct orders to stay inside the Ecto-1 during a chase, deploying the gunner's chair and claiming she couldn't hear due to the proton pack noise.
Substance Use
LowSubstance use in the film is minimal and mild, limited to a single instance of alcohol consumption by an adult character and no depictions of drug use or smoking.
The character Venkman (Bill Murray) is shown taking 'a long drink from a bottle before a battle'. There are no other explicit mentions or depictions of alcohol, smoking, or drug use throughout the film.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
Recommended for ages 12 and older, with parental guidance advised. The film contains a high level of supernatural peril, intense scary scenes, and graphic depictions of violence involving ghosts and characters freezing. There is also moderate suggestive content, profanity, and an occult worldview that explicitly contrasts with Christian theological beliefs regarding the afterlife and spiritual entities. The presence of implied LGBTQ+ themes may also be a consideration for some parents.
Additional Notes
Parents should be aware that while the Ghostbusters franchise often blends comedy with supernatural elements, 'Frozen Empire' leans into more intense horror and dramatic themes than some previous installments. The portrayal of the afterlife and spiritual entities presents a worldview that is incompatible with Christian theology. The implied LGBTQ+ narrative, while not explicit, is a significant part of a main character's emotional journey.
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