Girl Haunts Boy is a sweet story that toes the line between a feel-good film and a movie that wants to discuss the nuances of dealing with loss. When Cole appears on screen for the first time, he is still dealing with the grief of losing his father in a sudden and unexpected manner. Early on, the movie explains that Cole, while intelligent and interested in English class, is less than willing to speak up and make his voice heard, choosing instead to fly under the radar.
This is not a movie that tries to show Cole as a shy teenager who finds it hard to make friends among students who bully others over anything. Such a tired trope is ignored here, choosing instead to have Cole fall into a friendly relationship with his classmate Lydia, who just so happens to be interested in the supernatural.
However, this movie does not come together until Cole finally meets the film's opening character, Bea, who dies in a car accident shortly after stealing a ring from a museum 100 years ago.
Cole and Bea's connection is where Girl Haunts Boy thrives, as Bea desires the ability to communicate with others while Cole opens himself up to friendship. The time skip from Bea's life to the present day gives Cole the ability to help her see a world she had not anticipated, one where women can have any job they want and Bea can get a close up look at an airplane after admitting she dreamed of being a pilot.
While Cole helps show Bea the world she missed witnessing, Bea helps Cole live in the moment, as their connection encourages Cole to loosen up and do things he would not have without having Bea in his life. But, Girl Haunts Boy does not hold back on the emotional punch, allowing Cole's grief of losing his father to still help determine his choices when he realizes he may lose Bea as well.
However, while Cole is dealing with the concept of loss, it is Bea who is directly impacted by the curse she has found herself in. Not alive, but not entirely dead either, being a ghost has trapped Bea in a tired limbo where she can not live her life nor can she move on, and ultimately, it is her and Lydia who understand the frustration of this limbo better than Cole, who is ultimately thinking mostly about his own loneliness.
Bea had grown up in an entirely different time, and everyone she knew had lived and died by this point in time. She has no real place here, and ultimately, Cole will move on in his life, leaving Bea behind to haunt her childhood home. Bea understands that is not what she wants for herself, and upon realizing that she has a chance to move on from her limbo state, is angered by Cole's willingness to allow Bea to remain trapped in her ghost state. Ultimately, Cole realizes that Bea is right and aims to fix his mistake.
Michael Cimino and Peyton List offer solid performances in their roles and a charming chemistry that borders on platonic and romantic in a way that the audience can easily root for either outcome. Peyton List's experience from Paramount+'s School Spirits also comes in handy as well, as she once again channels the angst of a ghost who is not entirely able to communicate with people the way she would like and must deal with how she feels about her afterlife as a ghost.
Cole and Bea's character arcs highlight how the movie strives to show how their individual development is attached to their growing dynamic as a pair. Neither grows without help from the other, and each character's development and resolution is entirely intertwined with the impact the other left on them.
Even the ending offers a nice, surprising, and subversive conclusion that allows the audience a more enjoyable resolution. While the idea of interacting with ghosts may feel like it is a movie to watch more around the Halloween season, Girl Haunts Boy is a film that could be enjoyable at any point of the year.