All 5 ‘Ghostbusters’ Movies Ranked Worst To Best

It might not seem like that many when compared to multi-movie franchises such as Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the fact that we now have five Ghostbusters films in existence is a big deal for fans. And who knows what the future of the franchise looks like. More movies, perhaps? Maybe even a live-action TV series?

Either way, if you’re being troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night, or experiencing feelings of dread in your basement or attic, or maybe there’s something strange in your neighborhood and it don’t look good, call a professional (that’s not us). But, if you’re looking for a brutally honest ranking of all five Ghostbusters movies, we’ve got you covered.

5. Ghostbusters: Answer the Call

It will come as no surprise, but the bottom of our list was an easy choice.

Even before it hit theaters, Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016) was caught in a whirlwind of controversy due to the trailer’s reception, which led to the inexcusable harassment some of the cast members–such as Leslie Jones (Patty Tolan) and Melissa McCarthy (Abby Yates)–by online trolls (otherworldly entities that unfortunately can’t be silenced by a ghost trap).

However, the decision to put the 2016 reboot at the bottom is solely due to our opinion of the film, with all the controversy that bookended its release being immaterial. The truth is that Paul Feig’s attempt at remaking the beloved 1984 classic just doesn’t work, with its biggest flaw being that it just isn’t funny at all — despite it being first and foremost a comedy film.

Ghostbusters: Answer the Call does get a few things right, though, whether it’s the awesome-looking villain Rowan (Neil Casey) or a bunch of other ghosts, or a couple of the Ghostbusters themselves (Kristen Wiig’s Erin Gilbert and Kate McKinnon’s Jillian Holtzmann are particularly stand-out). And it’s not like Paul Feig is a bad director — after all, he’s responsible for giving us some of the best episodes of The Office (2005 — 2013).

Nevertheless, Answer the Call fails spectacularly in the comedy department more than it does in any other. While the paper-thin plot and two-dimensional characters leave a lot to be desired, it’s possible that such flaws would have been overlooked in exchange for some decent laughs. But the decision to give the main cast the freedom to ad-lib their lines is what ultimately jeopardized this movie. Add to that the fact that it’s a remake of a beloved classic.

Related: All 13 Ghostbuster Characters (Including a Guest of Honor!) Ranked Worst to Best

4. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

When the long-awaited threequel Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) grossed $204.3 million worldwide (against a $75 million budget), another sequel was inevitable. Following on from the 2021 film, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) is the fourth film in the main series, with the 2016 reboot existing in its own independent timeline. But was Frozen Empire worth the three-year wait, or should Sony have left the Ecto Containment Unit shut for good?

With Afterlife co-writer Gil Kenan (Monster House) at the helm, and director Jason Reitman on writing duties, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire certainly lacks the magic sparkle Afterlife somehow manages to capture. Call it luck, call it fate, or call it nostalgia, but the 2021 sequel is a wonderful homage to both the original 1984 film and the late Harold Ramis (who played Egon Spengler in the first two). Even if it does rely on Easter eggs way too much.

One of Frozen Empire‘s many issues is its abundance of characters. Not only is the Afterlife crew — Callie (Carrie Coon), Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), Lucky (Celeste O’Connor), and Phoebe (McKenna Grace) — back in the fold, but legacy characters Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Walter Peck (William Atherton), Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) also return.

Films like the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Avengers: Endgame (2019) have proven that several characters can occupy the same space at the same time and work in harmony with one another, but only when the writing is strong enough. Unfortunately, in Frozen Empire, the writing is about as thin as the barrier between the human dimension and the ghostly netherworld. With all that said, the 2024 sequel is great fun, if completely unnecessary.

3. Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Now that the dust has well and truly settled on the long-awaited film Ghostbusters: Afterlife — it has, after all, since been followed by Frozen Empire — it’s likely that many fans (ourselves included) can form a more honest opinion about the film, hopefully unblinkered by the fumes of nostalgia and lifelong anticipation. So, is Afterlife as good as we thought it was when it was released back in 2021, hot off the global COVID-19 pandemic?

The short answer is that we pretty much feel the same way about it as we did then. It’s a fun-filled, nostalgia-fueled trip down memory lane, and it does what everyone wanted– it’s a love letter to the 1984 film, while also acting as a beautiful homage to the late Harold Ramis.

The cast is superb, too, with Paul Rudd (Gary Grooberson), Logan Kim (Podcast), and McKenna Grace (Phoebe) stealing the show. Then there are the excellent cameos — Bill Murray (Peter Venkman), Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore), Dan Aykroyd (Ray Stantz), Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz), and Sigourney Weaver (Dana Barrett).

With all that said, without the filter of nostalgia, it’s possible the movie would have been mediocre at best. There’s no denying that the plot is a total re-tread of the 1984 film, while the returning villains amount to nothing more than Easter eggs. Perhaps without all those things, Afterlife would have been a better film, or at the very least, a bit more original.

Related: All 9 ‘Ghostbusters’ Installments Ranked, Including ‘Frozen Empire’

2. Ghostbusters II

It’s strange to think that Ghostbusters II (1989) gets such a hard time from many fans. Sure, it might also be a re-tread of the original film from a structural point of view, but which sequel isn’t? After all, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) is a re-tread of its predecessor, yet it’s widely considered to be superior.

With that said, we understand that Ivan Reitman’s sequel is far from perfect. For starters, Ghostbusters II isn’t necessarily a classic like Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is. Sure, there are many memorable moments in the film that have been immortalized by fans, but it would be a lie to suggest that Vigo the Carpathian (Wilhelm Von Honburg), for example, is just as iconic as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

However, unlike Afterlife, Ghostbusters II at least gives us something new, proving that the world these characters inhabit isn’t always haunted by the same handful of supernatural beings. The 1989 sequel builds upon the lore (something also lacking in Afterlife), which, in turn, has allowed the Ghostbusters universe to become richer over the decades, whether in IDW’s long-running comic book series or in 2009’s “Ghostbusters: The Video Game”.

It’s also great to see the entire cast back to bust more ghosts (with the exception of William Atherton, who plays Walter Peck in the original film). To no surprise, the original actors are on top form, while Louis Tully (Rick Moranis) steals the show. Ghostbusters II is also not without some depth, as it has plenty to say about the effects of positive and negative energy.

1. Ghostbusters (1984)

Our guess is that you’re about as surprised as seeing Ghostbusters (1984) on our top spot as you are with the reboot being at the bottom. The 1984 supernatural comedy is a beloved classic, and it’s plain to see why. Putting everything else aside — the iconic ghosts and the excellent characters — it’s the acting and the writing that are film’s most magical ingredients.

Then there’s the concept itself — a group of people go into business when they recognize a gap in the market, which happens to be an increase in ghost sightings across New York City. It’s pure genius. On paper, not unlike fellow ’80s-born property, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters shouldn’t work, but it does, and it does so incredibly well.

While the film is indeed a comedy, what’s particularly impressive is that the entire situation — the ghosts and the coming of Gozer — is all played straight. It’s the characters who drive the comedy forward, which allows the film a handful of moments that are either genuinely scary or somewhat serious.

Ghostbusters is a bona fide classic, and even outside the sequels and reboots, it lives on in many different ways. These days, you can find something strange almost everywhere.

How would you rank all the Ghostbusters movies? Let us know in the comments down below!