Ghosted makes it clear from the beginning that this is not your traditional romantic action movie. This time, instead of the man being the dangerous spy with a secret and the woman being an average citizen who learns her boyfriend’s big mystery, Apple TV+ flips the script, introducing a version where Sadie is the epic action hero, and Cole is just a guy.
Cole being unlucky in love and needy in relationships is the jumping point, referencing how he pushes too far with previous girlfriends leading them to dump him. Although Cole initially plans not to go this route again with Sadie, he can not help his nature. When Sadie never responds to any of his eleven text messages in two days, and he realizes that she has his inhaler, Cole determines that the most romantic thing he can do is fly out to London to see her.
He does not bother to listen to anyone warning him that this is a bad idea and that he is crossing the line. However, once he reaches London, things turn for the worst. After being kidnapped, Cole realizes the truth. Sadie had lied about her job and is actually a CIA agent.
Throughout Ghosted, Cole attempts, and often fails, to keep up with Sadie’s fast-paced willingness to beat her enemies and kill if necessary.
Chris Evans and Ana de Armas bring comedy to Cole and Sadie’s dynamic, and it is a fun change of pace to see Chris Evans in the role of needing to be saved in comparison to spending years watching him take on the hero role of Captain America.
The leading duo brings the comedy needed to make the jokes work while also understanding the stakes Sadie and Cole are dealing with. Ghosted never tries to be too serious and instead leans into the jokes, which allows the movie to have an equal balance of action and comedy.
Flipping the script lets Ghosted portray the benefits of a man as a damsel in distress and how it still allows the male and female characters to be fleshed out and important individually. In a time of advertising more female heroes, it is also integral to show women as capable, intelligent, and willing to hold their own while still having a human side that offers a look into their emotions.
