Fan favorite ghost movie Casper becomes a Netflix hit 28 years after its debut. Released in 1995, Casper stars Christina Ricci and tells the story of a therapist and his daughter who, upon moving into a decrepit mansion, discover the titular friendly young ghost. The movie was shot in live-action with an animated ghost, but its magnanimous spirit originally debuted on screen in a 1945 animated short called The Friendly Ghost.
Now, the beloved movie becomes a hit on Netflix. Casper came in at 3.2 million views during the week of October 9 through 15, coming in at No. 7 on the streamer’s Global Top 10 list. Topping the chart this week were Reptile, Fair Play, and Gemini Man.
Why 2023 Audiences Might Want to Revisit Casper
Though it is somewhat odd for a 1995 film like Casper to make it to Netflix’s Top 10, October is the right season for it. The Global Top 10 has recently revealed Netflix subscribers’ desire to get in the spirit of the Halloween season. In addition to Casper, horror movies Ma (No. 6) and Get Out (No. 10) made their way onto the chart this week. Their presence was similarly notable since both movies are at least a few years old, whereas other titles on the chart, like Reptile and Fair Play, were released in recent months.
Though all three films make sense for the Halloween season, Casper stands out. Whereas the other two are intense horror fare, Casper adds a PG lens to the supernatural. It has all the eerie elements appropriate to the spooky season, including haunted houses, ghosts, and magic, but its protagonist is a far preppier “monster” instead of a frightful villain like Michael Myers or Leatherface, the characters who often populate this time of year.
Casper can provide a Halloween that darker horror films cannot. While Halloween does align with the terrifying and scary, it is also closely tied with effervescence and joyful, carefree spirits. Replete with a distinctly ‘90s energy, Casper embraces just that, making it a great movie for 2023 audiences to revisit this Halloween season.
