In a sentenceA houseful of ghosts, and possession still manages to cause a fuss
Simon Hynd directs this fantasy comedy, with Charlotte Ritchie as Alison Cooper and Kiell Smith-Bynoe as Mike Cooper. The cast includes Simon Farnaby as Julian Fawcett, Jim Howick as Pat Butcher and Ben Willbond as The Captain. Martha Howe-Douglas plays Fanny Button, Mathew Baynton plays Thomas Thorne and Lolly Adefope plays Katherine “Kitty” Higham. Scott Ellis Watson, Sidhant Anand and Alexa Goodall appear as Jack, Lee and AJ. Julian’s possession gives the returning ghosts of Button House a new adventure. The film runs for 97 minutes and carries a PG certificate.
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Simon Hynd’s fantasy comedy gives its returning ensemble a funny, affectionate adventure without requiring a working knowledge of the sitcom. We recommend it, provided another outing for familiar characters is enough.
Simon Hynd’s Ghosts: The Possession of Button House is a funny, affectionate continuation with a sensible understanding of its appeal. The ghosts remain the attraction, and Julian’s possession supplies a reason to give them a longer adventure. We recommend it, with a straightforward caveat: this is for anyone happy to spend more time with these characters, rather than anyone demanding that they become substantially different people. Moving to cinema need not involve a personality transplant.
Julian Fawcett (Simon Farnaby) provides the possession plot, which opens up possibilities beyond the familiar sitcom setup. Around him are Pat Butcher (Jim Howick), The Captain (Ben Willbond) and Fanny Button (Martha Howe-Douglas), among an ensemble with enough comic variety to sustain the expansion. Giving an existing character the central complication is a sound choice. The story can grow without requiring a replacement cast to explain why the original one deserved a film in the first place.
Six members of the cast also share the writing credit, a useful arrangement for a comedy so dependent on its performers. The people writing these parts have to play them, and the ensemble remains central to the adventure. We like the cheerful absurdity of giving ghosts a possession problem. It is a concrete, suitably daft reason to return, and it allows the film to broaden its story while keeping the household’s humour and affection intact.
Will Peverett edits a neatly plotted film that mixes comedy with fantasy adventure, giving the ensemble more to sustain than a succession of familiar appearances. Álvaro Gutiérrez handles the cinematography, Andrew Lavin the production design and Sunna Wehrmeijer the music. Button House provides a clear focus for that collaboration: the place matters because of the people associated with it. The steady comedy makes the strongest case for the longer format; recognising the house would not, by itself, be sufficient entertainment.
There is also a welcome route in for newcomers. Previous affection for the sitcom adds something, but the film does not make it a condition of entry, which is important when recognition could so easily substitute for a joke. The ensemble has to be funny before the audience can be expected to care about its return. Here, the silliness gives that affection somewhere to begin, and the warmth makes the adventure worth following beyond its supernatural complication.
The reservation concerns the limits of this particular pleasure. A possession plot offers fresh business, but the film remains committed to preserving the series’ humour and its attachment to these characters. Anyone hoping for a substantial change of tone should adjust that expectation. We would not sell it as a reinvention, and its comfort will be less persuasive to viewers who want their supernatural comedy to unsettle them as much as amuse them.
At 97 minutes, this is a manageable visit, and the genre mixture gives the familiar company a useful change of activity. For a television comedy becoming a film, retaining the ensemble’s appeal is a worthwhile ambition, even if it is not an adventurous one in itself. Choose it for an evening of companionable silliness; there is no entrance examination on the sitcom.
The reviews are uniformly positive about Ghosts: The Possession of Button House, with praise clustering around the returning ensemble, the steady humour and the affection for its familiar spectres. Most critics describe a comforting continuation of the sitcom that gives fans good reason to return to Button House. The comedy’s warmth matters as much as its silliness, while Empire also praises neat plotting and a blend of genres that welcomes newcomers without neglecting established fans.
The differences are chiefly in enthusiasm rather than any clear dispute about the film’s strengths. No recurring reservation emerges from the summaries available, though some offer only a partial account of the review. Screen Daily gives the most restrained assessment, describing a charming transition to cinema. Elsewhere, the stronger notices celebrate how readily the characters sustain a fresh adventure.
The critic finds the film a warm, comforting delight that builds on the sitcom’s comic energy. They praise the giddy silliness and the ensemble of ghosts, each of whom could carry the film.
Read the full review →Graham finds the film a joyous, comforting comedy that welcomes newcomers while rewarding fans. He praises its neat plotting and surprising blend of genres, alongside the steady stream of laughs.
Read the full review →The review presents the film as funny, heartfelt and well worth the wait for fans. It praises its return to Button House and its familiar spectres.
Read the full review →The review presents the film as a royally entertaining, charming caper. It singles out the BBC’s loveable spectres as the source of its appeal.
Read the full review →The headline presents the film as a charming transition of the sitcom to the big screen. The visible text singles out the returning cast and series director, but the review’s full discussion is behind a paywall.
Read the full review →Sandwell calls the film a delightful continuation that should satisfy fans and says he would welcome more sequels. He praises how Julian’s possession lets the story expand into a fresh, funny adventure while preserving the series’ humour and heart.
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The Ghost and Mrs. MuirFor another household negotiating affection and friction between the living and dead.
BeetlejuiceMore troublesome ghosts and domestic disputes, with considerably less concern for manners.
A Matter of Life and DeathBritish fantasy that gives its supernatural bureaucracy warmth, humour and human stakes.
Extra Ordinary · not reviewed yetAn Irish supernatural comedy that treats ghostly interference as an everyday nuisance.
What We Do in the Shadows · not reviewed yetFor supernatural housemates whose ancient habits make sharing accommodation needlessly difficult.
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