#Ghost has some of the best camerawork of any movie shot on an iPhone

At some point in Ghost, you forget that it was shot entirely on an iPhone

Ghost, the feature debut for director Anthony Z. James, is an emotional tale about the sins of the father. James states that the passing of his own father inspired him to write a story about their relationship in the form of a gritty crime drama. He shot the film completely on an iPhone, but in a way that is different from other movies that were shot this way.

Besides a long opening, which shows our main character Tony Ward (played by Anthony Mark Streeter) as he’s leaving prison, James lets his characters tell the story. While many films that are shot on iphones tend to make that obvious through the angles and framing, Ghost is character driven and it was clear the phone was more of a means to an end.

What’s it about?

In Ghost, Tony Ward is released from prison after 10 years. There is no dialogue for the first five or more minutes as we watch Tony wander into the streets of London trying to figure out where he is going to go. We also see a young man who we soon find out is Conor Ward (Nathan Hamilton) as he heads out and watches Tony on his walk.

Our two characters meet and this first scene together hit home for me as the son of a father who spent a lot of time away from home. My father was in the military so it’s not quite the same but the vibes were similar. Over the course of the film, we watch the two men try to connect without being able to fully be open about their feelings.

If you like character-driven dramas and crime dramas, Ghost is for you

At the same time, we see Tony trying to get back onto his feet and watch Conor get some life-changing news that may make him change the path that he is on. Meanwhile, the question looms as to why Tony was in prison in the first place.

Sins of the father

It is clear early on that Conor still holds some animosity towards his father. He’s a man now but his father missed out on a lot of key moments of his growth. The father is aware of this as well and it creates an awkward tension in their interactions as they don’t address it directly. At the same time, there are small moments where it’s clear Conor is trying to prove his masculinity to his father. It’s those scenes that will hit home for anyone who can relate.

As the film goes along we get hints as to Tony’s past. We find out the people involved and there are reasons to believe that there is something about his past that has not yet been resolved. How and when those things will come back up is what looms over the film and you do get your answer in dramatic fashion by the end.

At the same time, we see Conor as a young man trying to find his way. He has a job but it’s just enough for him to survive really and isn’t likely to be a career with growth opportunities for him. When he meets up with an ex it’s clear she has bigger dreams for him and his father wastes no time in adding to those pressures. Most of us don’t have life figured out in our early 20’s and Conor is no different.

Tony’s past decisions have already impacted Conor’s life up to this point and the question is how they will impact him going forward.

Who should watch?

If you like character-driven emotional dramas with men trying to put their lives back together (think Manchester by the Sea, The Way Back) then Ghost will work for you. Though it is a crime drama, that element of it doesn’t become obvious until the final 30 or so minutes of the film. If you like gritty crime dramas as well as those emotional dramas, then you should be adding Ghost to your watch list.

The movie ends on its highest and darkest note after making sure you are emotionally invested in the characters.

Ghost is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime in some countries, arriving in the US soon.