Ghost World

Reviewed by:
Eric Alt

Though Ghost World is based on a comic book, those expecting super-powered heroes and villains have to wait until Spider-Man comes out next year. Based on the Daniel Clowes “graphic novel,” Ghost World follows two disaffected teenage girls who wander around their small town cataloging all manner of freaks and geeks. And, no, there are no ghosts in it.

Like a John Waters movie without the self-conscious camp, Ghost World is actually pretty good, despite the fact that the subject matter probably sounds about as appealing to you as a 24-hour Gilmore Girls marathon. Dry wit, bizarre characters, and Steve Buscemi make it all worth a look—hell, just see it for the crazy mullet-guy with the nunchuks.

American Beauty’s Thora Birch here takes the type of role usually reserved for Christina Ricci, but you’ll quickly realize how annoying and shrill Ricci is by comparison. Indie stalwarts and comic character actors (note Mr. Show’s David Cross) round out the rest of the cast, making Ghost World a nice alternative to America’s Sweethearts, which—trust us—your girlfriend already wants to see.

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