We Have a Ghost (2023):The Halloween Comedy That Makes Students Think About Fame, Compassion, and Who Gets Exploited for Clicks

This movie introduces students to questions about fame, attention, and what people are willing to exploit for money and clout, set against a story that treats compassion as more valuable than virality. It also explores what it means to really see someone, since the film's central relationship is built on patience and curiosity rather than fear. Those ideas sit inside a story that uses comedy and light horror to make a point about how families treat each other under pressure.

After the Presley family moves into a cheap fixer-upper in Chicago, teenage son Kevin discovers a ghost named Ernest living in the attic. While Kevin's father sees an opportunity to cash in by posting videos of Ernest online, Kevin instead works to uncover who Ernest was in life and how he died, so he can finally move on. As the videos go viral, the family draws the attention of a CIA paranormal division, and Kevin and Ernest go on the run to solve the mystery before Ernest is captured for study.

The wider value for a classroom sits in how the film contrasts two very different responses to the same discovery, one built on exploitation for personal gain, the other on genuine curiosity and care. It gives students a concrete, contemporary example for discussing how social media rewards spectacle over substance, and how easily a person, or a ghost, can become a headline instead of someone worth understanding.

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👻 Centers Compassion Over Fear. Kevin's response to finding a ghost in his attic is curiosity rather than panic, and that choice drives the entire story. Students see a clear example of empathy changing the outcome of a situation that could easily have gone another way.

📱 Satirizes Social Media Fame. Once Ernest's existence goes viral, the family's instinct to monetize him rather than help him becomes the movie's sharpest commentary. It gives students a vivid, current example of how quickly a private discovery can turn into public spectacle.

👨‍👦 Explores an Imperfect Father-Son Relationship. Kevin's father repeatedly puts his own ambitions ahead of his family, and the movie does not shy away from showing how that affects Kevin and his brother. Watching that tension play out gives students a grounded, relatable family dynamic to discuss.

🕵️ Builds a Genuine Mystery. Ernest cannot speak and does not remember how he died, so Kevin has to piece together his past using clues and outside help. The mystery structure keeps the plot moving and gives students something concrete to track and predict as it unfolds.

🎭 Blends Comedy, Horror, and Heart. The movie shifts between goofy set pieces, tense chase sequences, and a genuinely emotional resolution to Ernest's story. That range gives students a chance to talk about how a single movie can move between tones without losing its central idea.

🏛️ Raises Questions About Authority and Privacy. Once a government agency gets involved, the movie turns Ernest and the family into targets of surveillance and pursuit. It is a useful jumping off point for discussing how institutions respond when something unexplainable becomes public knowledge.

⚠️ Things to be aware of:

• Contains strong language throughout, including multiple uses of stronger swear words.
• Includes gun violence, a car chase, and a character who is killed off screen.
• Includes references to drinking and being drunk, along with a passing mention of a prescription medication.
• Includes brief teen kissing and some sexual references in dialogue, with nothing shown on screen.

📚 English Language Arts Teachers. A ghost story built around mystery, family conflict, and social commentary gives students plenty to analyze once the jokes settle, and this movie's blend of comedy and genuine emotional stakes makes it a strong text for discussing tone and character motivation. The guide is built for ELA classrooms, with three tiers of differentiated comprehension questions and writing tasks that go beyond simple recall into character analysis and narrative structure.

🗣️ ESL and ELL Teachers. The movie's contemporary setting and everyday dialogue give language learners a story that feels current and accessible, without leaning on unfamiliar historical or cultural references. The multiple choice comprehension set is built with ESL and ELL students in mind, giving them a structured way to follow the plot without needing to produce long written responses.

🎬 Substitute Teachers and Cover Lessons. The guide's three comprehension question sets all come with answer keys, so a substitute does not need to have seen the movie to run the class. Everything from the questions to the storyboard and character writing task is laid out and ready to hand over, letting a sub manage the session with minimal preparation.

🏠 Homeschool Parents. We Have a Ghost mixes a family conflict, a mystery, and some genuine emotional weight once Ernest's story is resolved, giving a homeschool parent plenty to discuss after watching. The guide's tiered comprehension questions and character writing task give a single student a clear structure to work through, and the storyboard makes a solid independent visual project.

💙 SEL Teachers. A teacher building an SEL lesson around empathy and how people treat someone who is vulnerable has a strong example here, since the film's central relationship is defined by patience and care in direct contrast to a family member who sees only an opportunity. The guide does not include a dedicated SEL activity, but the comprehension questions give students a structured task and keep them accountable while they watch.

💻 Technology Teachers. A Technology teacher covering digital citizenship or the ethics of social media fame can use this movie as a real-world scenario, since the plot is set in motion entirely by a viral phone video and the consequences that follow it. There is no dedicated Technology activity in the guide, but the comprehension questions still give students a structured task to complete during the movie.

🌟 Supporting All Learners Movie guides can be a wonderfully calm fit for students with autism, learning difficulties, and mild to severe disabilities. The structured format gives every student a clear purpose during viewing, easing uncertainty and allowing them to engage at their own pace. If you teach in a special education or learning support setting, you may find this guide a gentle and practical resource. Find out more about why movies work for diverse learners.

Part 1: Comprehension Questions
Three sets of differentiated comprehension questions in chronological order, with answer keys included. The first set has 50 questions requiring full sentence answers, the second set has 30 questions requiring full sentence answers taken from the first 50, and the third set has 30 multiple choice questions with 3 possible answers each, which also works well for ESL and ELL students.

Part 2: Storyboard and Synopsis
Students draw a 9 scene storyboard of what they consider the most important parts of the movie, including a brief description for each scene, with the movie questions available as a reference for sequencing. Students then use their completed storyboard to write a synopsis of the movie.

Part 3: Character Writing
Students choose one character and write about them following a set of question prompts, then include a drawing of their chosen character.