Review: Ghosted – A Romantic Comedy with Spies

There’s a certain level of ridiculousness within romantic comedies that require an element of suspension of disbelief. You often need to just roll with it when the situations are so over-the-top and goofy, otherwise, it’s difficult to enjoy the more loving moments. Ghosted on Apple TV+ really asks the audience to accept a high level of ridiculousness and camp in order to follow a story of love at first sight, mixed with an action-packed world of spies. Much of this love story is predictable, only the stakes of lying and misunderstanding involve putting the world in danger, which may or may not work for some viewers. But some good action might be enough to keep others around for what Ghosted is bringing to the table.

Ghosted stars Chris Evans and Ana De Armas as Cole and Sadie, two people who meet by chance at a farmers’ market, instantly connecting with each other after a few awkward exchanges. The two of them go on a date that leads to a one-night stand, which sticks with Cole and causes him to fall in love with Sadie. After reaching out to her again for a while with no response, Cole realizes he left his inhaler in Sadie’s purse and tracks it to London. He hops on a plane to go meet her in hopes of a romantic gesture, only to find out Sadie is an agent who works for the CIA, thrusting him into a world of spies and global danger in pursuit of the girl of his dreams.

The setup for Ghosted seems innocent and fair enough to get things moving but quickly kicks into high gear once Cole makes his way to Europe on a whim. The idea that someone can track their inhaler with an app across continents comes off as silly and borderline unbelievable but also feels like a weird thing to do for someone Cole just met. A lot of things that Cole does is played off for comedic effect, with the movie quickly establishing he has a problem with being needy in relationships and borderline creepy. The same is shown for Sadie at various parts of the movie, with the two of them calling each other creeps and stalkers at various times. In some moments it can be funny, but eventually, it becomes a worn-out joke that loses its effect. Sadie herself is made to look like a person who is closed off from others following a tragic event but slowly opens up to Cole when the two of them get closer. The reveals about each of them later in the film are very much predictable, as is the conflict that inevitably pops up at the worst of times.

But do Ana de Armas and Chris Evans have good chemistry with each other to make this couple believable in these extreme circumstances? Yes, they do look cute as a couple. More often than not the two of them do a great job, but not without a few stumbles along the way. When they’re on the big date they have and when they’re intimate the two of them appear to be very much in love. The moments throughout the movie when they’re arguing or at odds with each other do feel a bit forced in some cases, with some of the banter back and forth not always sounding the best.

All of the supporting cast around these two lovebirds are exactly as you would expect in a romantic comedy. You have those overly enthusiastic parents in Cole’s family that want him to get together with Sadie, as well as the edgy sibling that takes jabs at Cole whenever she can. Other people Cole and Sadie come across are just as over-the-top and ridiculous as well, with many making it painfully obvious that the two of them should just get a room and hook up already. It’s possibly a bit too ridiculous in some cases, especially when the film tries to be more serious. The humor in these moments may break up the tension for a romantic comedy, but it does feel jarring. For the most part, the film is consistent with its tone, opting to stay more comedic than serious, but there are those few moments of whiplash with what’s happening in the story.

The action in Ghosted is surprisingly good. Many of the action set pieces involving car chases, shoot-outs, and hand-to-hand combat are very well done. Ana de Armas looks like a deadly yet sexy femme fatale in every one of her action sequences, whether she’s firing guns at everyone or taking down bad guys with her bare hands. She gets multiple spots to show off her skills throughout the movie, being given an almost James Bond level of class mixed with the violence.

At the same time, Chris Evans gets to flex his acting abilities by playing the displaced guy who at first doesn’t know what he’s doing, bumbling around and dodging gunfire while his girlfriend fights to protect him. In the context of the film, this works out great and has a gradual buildup to when Cole finally is able to help Sadie out on her mission. By the end, Chris Evan’s character isn’t a CIA agent but is more confident and capable in a fight than before. Arguably Ana de Armas’ character doesn’t change much by the end but her change is to become more open to another person. She just happens to still be a badass throughout.

Ghosted won’t change the minds of anyone who isn’t into romantic comedies, but it will still offer a fun time if you decide to watch it. It’s cheesy and awkward at times but still has enough bite to deliver a solid action sequence at the right time. The mixture of genres might work for some and just be weird for others, so not everyone will be on board with what Ghosted is offering. But if you just roll with what the movie gives to you, then you’ll have a decently fun time with this love-at-first-sight story.

Will you be checking out Ghosted on Apply TV+ any time soon? Are you a fan of Ana de Armas or Chris Evans? Leave a comment down below and let us know your thoughts!