Bill Murray

In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024), Bill Murray's Peter Venkman gets a handful of scenes, and his delivery sounds like reading from a card. We were disappointed because the flat readings offered so little of his usual comic timing. Dan Aykroyd's Ray Stantz gets a proper part as a man who is not ready to stop. Murray needs that much to work with, too, however much affection his arrival might prompt.

The comedy star of Ghostbusters (1984) became more interesting as the roles began to ask for something beyond the joke. Groundhog Day (1993) put his precise timing to work on a story of personal change; Rushmore (1998) found sincerity and melancholy in the irony. The latter began his long collaboration with director Wes Anderson, whose mixture of comedy and sadness suits him. Lost in Translation (2003) gave further room to the understated dramatic acting that had become a substantial part of his work.

Ed Wood (1994) is a useful reminder that a supporting appearance need not be an event in itself. Murray plays Bunny Breckinridge in Tim Burton's funny, unusually kind film about artistic failure, which has more to offer than the pleasure of recognising its cast. Johnny Depp's optimism and Martin Landau's vulnerability give the film people worth caring about. It runs long, and Burton's affection sometimes leaves Depp too little to play, but we recommend it with those reservations.

In Peyton Reed's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), Murray's cameo as Lord Krylar plays like a favour being called in. His presence is expected to supply the humour, and it does not. We laughed at Veb, the blob, and little else; Murray's comic timing cannot do much for an appearance this thin. Alongside the return as Venkman, it makes us wary of recommending a film simply because his name is on the cast list. For Murray doing more than making an entrance, start with Rushmore.