Following Monday night’s all-out Ghostbusters: Afterlife premiere, which featured original stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson walking the red carpet and blowing away the crowd, the first reactions to the nostalgic-heavy sequel are rolling in. While critics are loving the ’80s vibes infused into Afterlife, there’s a name that keeps popping up in almost every reaction: Mckenna Grace.
Starring as Phoeobe, the granddaughter of classic Ghostbuster Egon Spenger, who was famously played by the late Harold Ramis, Grace’s performance has been called everything from “captivating” to “stealing the show” as critics loved her character’s entry into the series as well as her chemistry with co-star Paul Rudd.
You can see some of the reactions below:
https://twitter.com/MurrellDan/status/1460527606089007107
#GhostbustersAfterlife is so good? Like truly incredible? Anyway I cried
— Rachel Leishman (@RachelLeishman) November 16, 2021
#GhostbustersAfterlife made me CRYYY😭 wow did the emotional punches hit me hard. Its a movie truly made for the fans. McKenna Grace & Paul Rudd knock it out of the park but I found Logan Kim to be a hilarious stand out! HUGE praise to the VFX & aesthetic👻🚫 MORE PLEASE!! pic.twitter.com/kbHmzgYJq6
— 3C Films (@3CFilm) November 16, 2021
McKenna Grace is charming, hilarious, and completely steals the show. Particularly love her on screen chemistry with Paul Rudd! She has a long and incredible career ahead of her. Can't wait to see what she does next.
#GhostbustersAfterlife pic.twitter.com/S8Mk1kg0DX
— Tessa Smith – Mama's Geeky (@MamasGeeky) November 16, 2021
Saw GB Afterlife last night. The first movie is my favorite movie of all time. I just love it. Happy to report that Afterlife is a worthy sequel. Fun, the young cast is surprisingly great, Rudd is perfect, it looks and feels like a GB movie. I had a blast! #GhostbustersAfterlife
— Brian Quinn (@BQQuinn) November 16, 2021
GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE innovates the franchise while intelligently leaning into nostalgia. Personal touch of Jason Reitman helming his dad’s franchise felt throughout. McKenna Grace is captivating. Paul Rudd = scene stealer. Last 20 min. are so touching. Must see #Ghostbusters pic.twitter.com/PEk6gzaQAz
— Film Codex (@FilmCodex) November 16, 2021
https://twitter.com/JordisTweeting/status/1456382666627031046
#GhostbustersAfterlife is a much needed Breathe of fresh air for the franchise. Funny, heartwarming, charming, exciting, nostalgic, & of course Spooky. It builds off of what made the original so good & never stopped. McKenna Grace though? SHES A STAR🥲 pic.twitter.com/ovStPkmyqG
— Zach Pope (@popetheking) November 16, 2021
Is there anything Mckenna Grace can't do?? She co-wrote and sung the end credit song "Haunted House" for GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, in addition to starring in it. Queen. pic.twitter.com/E4RnHi2IM1
— Meagan Navarro (@HauntedMeg) November 16, 2021
As you can see, the word “emotional” pops up a lot, and that’s a feeling that original Ghostbusters Murray and Hudson both felt about returning to the classic franchise that’s right up there with Star Wars as a defining part of so many childhoods. Here’s what the two told Entertainment Tonight about reuniting with Akroyd to film Afterlife:
Hudson then shared, “I saw Danny in his jumpsuit, Bill and I started crying. So apparently it was very important to me.”
Murray added, “I really never expected to still have another paranormal problem.”
Naturally, Murray couldn’t help but make a crack about all of the tears as he saw people “walking out crying, so I don’t know if that’s good news or bad news.”
Ghostbusters: Afterlife proton blasts its way into theaters on November 19.
