SLIFF 2019 Review – THE GHOST WHO WALKS

THE GHOST WHO WALKS will screen at The Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar) Friday, Nov 15 at 9:30pmas part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival.Writer and Director Cody Stokes and producer Dan Gartner will be in attendance and will host a post-screening Q&A. Ticket information can be found HERE

Shot in St. Louis by former St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase award-winner Cody Stokes, THE GHOST WHO WALKS is a breathlessly paced ride through the hidden underbelly of the city. After five years in prison, Nolan (Garland Scott) is given his freedom, but his release required that he rat on his former boss — a betrayal that carries a death sentence. Nolan must now scramble to find his ex, Lena (Alexia Rasmussen), and the 5-year-old daughter he’s never met before Donnie (Gil Darnell) can track him down and kill him. Nolan’s quest is simple: Put his family back together and escape. But to build a better future, Nolan first must face his past in all its forms. Can Nolan survive the night? Or is he already a ghost, doomed from the moment the prison doors opened?

Review by Matthew Lowery

Christmas is considered the season of giving, a time for friends and family to enjoy one another’s time together. It’s also a time to enjoy some wholesome Christmas movies like It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34^th Street. Unfortunately, for many of us, it’s a time marked by depression, grief, and separation, especially those separated from their families. Enter St. Louis-based filmmaker Cody Stokes, who has broken away from directing TV commercials to direct his feature film debut. Having experienced leaving his kids for work, Stokes decided on a Christmas film about trying to reconnect with his children. However, instead of making some sappy, feel-good holiday film, we have a gritty crime thriller contrasting with the holiday spirit. Imagine a much more hard-edged version of Die Hard and Lethal Weapon, and you should know what to expect. Debuting at this year’s SLIFF, here is The Ghost Who Walks.

Nolan (Garland Scott) has recently been released from prison, but things have changed drastically since his time in prison. Turns out he got out early because he ratted out his former boss to the police, and he’s being hunted. He goes to his old house to find that someone new has moved in before being attacked by some goons. While on the run, Nolan runs into his old friend Stitches (Frank Mosley), who reluctantly agrees to help him out. With his help, Nolan works to track down his ex-wife Lena (Alexia Rasmussen) and try to see his 5-year-old daughter. Unfortunately, Lena has since married Nolan’s former boss Donnie (Gil Darnell), and he suspects that she is working with Nolan. As the night goes on and with the deck stacked against him, can Nolan reconnect with his family? Or is it too late for him to live a normal life?

The Ghost Who Walks is an intense and gritty thriller that has a powerful story at its core. Cody Stokes’ direction evokes the look and tone of crime thrillers from the 70s, like Death Wish and Taxi Driver. While the film has violence and nudity, it’s not excessive and helps establish the world the film takes place in. At the heart of the film is lead actor Garland Scott, who can be intense and sympathetic all at once. Frank Mosley works well as the comic relief, being funny when needed and letting more dramatic scenes be. Alexia Rasmussen has good chemistry with Garland Scott, and their scenes together are tragic but also somewhat charming. While his screen time is limited, Gil Darnell makes for a good villain, delivering what you’d expect from his character. It’s thanks to this small but talented cast that the film feels so real.

As much as I thoroughly enjoyed this film, some minor flaws slightly hampered the experience. the experience. For one, we’re told that Nolan did some terrible things that landed him in jail, but not much else. There’s no point where we are ever told or shown what exactly he did that caused all of this. While it isn’t necessarily the film’s main focus, it would’ve been nice to get some more backstory on the character. Also, there’s a portion of the film about halfway through where things start to drastically slow down. Thankfully, there’s some great character development and small moments to keep you engaged, but it might put some people off. That being said, this is still the kind of film we don’t see very often, and it’s refreshing to see. Overall, The Ghost Who Walks is a solid crime thriller with tons of heart and true-to-life urban grit.