Jason Reitman’s addition to the Ghostbusters franchise is being released in cinemas this Friday, so what better time to refresh your memory of the franchise. Here is where you can buy, rent, or stream all of the Ghostbusters films.

Ghostbusters (1984)

The original, and still the best, film in the franchise. Ghostbusters is that rare confluence of talent, timing, and skill that created a classic. Murray, Ackroyd, Ramis, and Reitman were all at the top of their game and it showed. Hilarious from start to finish, and with a few scary moments to boot, Ghostbusters remains one of the greatest films of the 1980s.

---

The Real Ghostbusters (1986-1991)

Created with input from Ramis and Ackroyd and featuring writing from genre favourite J. Michael Straczynski, the early seasons of The Real Ghostbuster have some terrific episodes. It is very much a kids show and becomes much more so as the series goes on, but there is a lot worth revisiting.

Ghostbusters II (1989)

Ghostbusters II is such a weird mixed bag. It immediately falls into the trap of essentially making the same movie again –the film bends over backwards to make the guys who saved New York in 1984 effectively forgotten in 1989– and while it is funny, it never reaches the comedic highs of the first outing. It does have a much scarier villain, though.

---

Ghostbusters (2016)

While it has its issues, the recent all-women Ghostbusters reboot is genuinely fun and funny for most of its runtime. Sure, it’s overly reliant on improv, and there are no clear rules on how exactly the ghosts are caught or busted or whatever, but if you’re looking for the worst film in the franchise, this ain’t it. It doesn’t fully recapture the original’s magic, but the same guys who made the original couldn’t even do that, so cut this one some slack already.

---

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is generating all kinds of good buzz as of this writing, but as a fan of the franchise, I have to say that I am a little worried that this outing –which looks like Ghostbusters and Stranger Things had a baby will end up leaning a little too heavily on the fan service. Yes, it has Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon and Finn Wolfhard and McKenna Grace (among others), but it feels a little cynical to me right now. Plus, I’m a little disappointed that the ladies didn’t get a second outing.

No word on when Ghostbusters: Afterlife will be available at home, but the links will be here when it is.

---

Support:

Like this? Please consider supporting us via Patreon or Ko-Fi!