In this afterlife, ghosts only survive as long as the living remember and fear them. The Rookie (Gingle Wang) is a timid young ghost who learns she will fade away in 30 days unless she gets a haunting licence. Her only hope is to join the Dead Talents Society, an agency of professional scarers, under the wing of Makoto (Chen Bolin) and his fading star Catherine (Sandrine Pinna).
The film is packed with clever ideas: ghosts who audition with their best scares, rival haunters chasing viral videos, and influencers who prove ghosts are fake. It pokes fun at the entertainment industry, social media and the pressure to succeed, while paying loving tribute to Asian horror classics.
The comedy is sharp and the cast is great. Sandrine Pinna is hilarious as the vain, desperate diva, and Gingle Wang gives the Rookie real heart. The art direction, makeup and costumes are superb, with neon hotels and wonderfully creepy ghost designs.
It is too long and the plot sags in the middle. And it is barely scary, so horror fans looking for real frights should look elsewhere. But it is funny, warm and full of surprises, with a moving story about failure and self-worth at its centre.
