Sumith Prasad
Directed by Christopher Landon, Netflix’s horror comedy film ‘We Have a Ghost’ follows Kevin Presley, who moves into a haunted house in Chicago with his father Frank, mother Melanie, and brother Fulton. While settling in at the new house, Kevin comes across a ghost named Ernest, who cannot talk or remember anything about his life before his death. Kevin decides to unravel the mystery behind Ernest’s past and death so that he wouldn’t feel lost. Their efforts lead them to several revelations and unexpected turn of events. Since the film ends with a significant unanswered question, the viewers must want to make sense of the same. Well, here are our thoughts about it! SPOILERS AHEAD.
We Have a Ghost Plot Synopsis
‘We Have a Ghost’ begins with a family abandoning a haunted house after seemingly encountering a ghost. A year later, Frank and his wife Melanie decide to move into the same house with their sons Kevin and Fulton, without being aware of the presence of the ghost, since they are able to buy the same for a low price. While Kevin is settling in at the house, he hears strange noises in the attic and comes across a ghost named Ernest, who tries to scare him. Kevin shoots their encounter using his phone while laughing, making it clear that he isn’t scared of Ernest. Kevin talks to the ghost, who lets the former know that he cannot talk or remember anything.
Frank and Fulton watch the footage of Ernest and post the same on the internet to become famous. They also meet the ghost, only for Frank to realize that he can make enough money by taking advantage of Ernest. He and Fulton team up to upload videos of Ernest, which garners millions of viewers. Leslie Monroe, a parapsychologist, comes to know about Ernest and meets CIA Deputy Director Arnold Schipley to restart Wizard Clip, a program spearheaded to learn more about paranormal entities. While Leslie and CIA officials arrive at Frank’s house to capture Ernest for their studies and potential uses, Kevin teams up with his neighbor Joy to run away from the city with Ernest.
Joy discovers that the ghost is not really Ernest since the man with the same name who previously lived in the haunted house is alive. The trio eventually meets the real Ernest Scheller, who reveals that the ghost is actually Randy McGovern, the husband of his wife Ramona’s sister. According to Ernest, Randy apparently killed himself after the death of his wife, leaving his daughter June with the former and his wife. Meanwhile, Leslie and other CIA officials arrive at Ernest’s house and capture Randy, only to lock him up. Deputy Director Schipley reveals to Leslie that the CIA can do anything with Randy since he is already dead. Leslie realizes that the agency is considering the ghost as a weapon, which makes her free him from custody.
We Have a Ghost Ending: How Did Randy Die? Why Did Ernest Kill Him?
Ever since meeting Randy, Kevin has been curious about the death and past of the ghost. Although Ernest tells him that Randy might have killed himself, he doesn’t believe that the man he got bonded with is capable of abandoning his daughter by killing himself. However, he doesn’t get any time to dive into the same further since Leslie and her squad capture Randy. While in custody, the ghost sees an eagle-shaped lapel pin on the uniform of an officer and he remembers an eagle sculpture he noticed at Ernest’s house. The recollection triggers his memory and he remembers that Ernest killed him using the same eagle sculpture.
Randy, while he was alive, never intended to abandon his daughter June. When his wife died, he looked after his daughter on his own. He sought Ernest and the latter’s wife Ramona’s help if needed since they were seemingly his only relatives. Ernest and Ramona didn’t have kids and they were desperate to have one. When Ramona’s sister died, they started to believe that Randy would not be able to look after June on his own, which made them yearn for the little girl to nurture her as their daughter. To materialize their wish, Ernest had to kill him. He buried Ernest in the same house Kevin eventually move into, which explains why Randy’s ghost gets stuck at the house.
After Randy’s wife’s death, Ernest and Ramona wanted June to have a father and mother who would be able to commit their lives to her. Randy alone was incapable of doing the same in Ernest and Ramona’s views, which motivate them to kill the former.
Is Ernest/Randy Gone for Good?
While Randy escapes from the CIA facility, Ernest confronts Kevin to kill the latter, fearing the boy knows about him murdering the former. Randy, who arrives at the house by the time of Ernest and Kevin’s confrontation, protects Kevin from the viciousness of the murderer. Frank eventually kills Ernest. After the incident, regaining memory completely, Randy reconnects with his daughter June. However, right after the father and daughter’s meeting, the ghost starts to vanish slowly and eventually disappears from the region. Kevin starts to wonder whether Randy is gone for good since the ghost doesn’t appear before him after the incident.
Randy must have vanished since he fulfills his apparent objectives as a ghost. After Ernest’s death, Kevin and Frank take June to the ghost of her father, only for the father and daughter to share a few affectionate moments. With the help of Kevin, Randy regains his memory, avenges his death, and reconnects with his daughter. Considering that the same must have been the aspirations of Randy, the purpose of him becoming a ghost must have been fulfilled as well.
If that’s the case, it is understandable that Randy disappears in front of Kevin, likely since there isn’t any objective left for the ghost to pursue. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Randy is gone for good. When Kevin leaves the house, a bulb in the attic flashes, indicating that Randy possibly is still in the house but without a physical appearance. He must have gotten salvation after meeting June, which explains why he is unable to appear before Kevin while he is parting ways with the house they met. Randy may follow Kevin without being able to appear before him and make the latter realize that he is with the boy using objects such as the bulbs.
Do Kevin and Joy End Up Together?
Yes, Kevin and Joy do end up together. When Kevin first meets Joy, he notices that she is a musician like him. After getting to know her better, he realizes that they are not severely different. Both of them feel that they don’t belong at the place they are currently in and with the people they share their lives with, especially since they are seen as peculiar. Kevin and Joy grew distant from their respective fathers, which made them find comfort in loneliness. These similarities bring them closer and the same pave the way for their union.
Both Kevin and Joy live among people who only bother to mock them or take advantage of their vulnerability. That’s when they both notice how selfless the other person is. Joy admires Kevin’s determination to unravel the mystery concerning Randy to help the ghost and Kevin admires Joy’s resilience to extend her support to him even when she gets forced to fight authorities. The compassion and consideration they both express become the foundation of their relationship. Although Kevin moves from the house next to Joy’s, he lets her know that he is just five miles away with a kiss. Considering his words, it is evident that they will continue to spend their time with each other and nurture their togetherness.
Read More: Where Was Netflix’s We Have a Ghost Filmed?
