People process grief in different ways. Some may dwell on a loss without being able to process anything else, while others seek to bury themselves in work or other activity so they rarely have time to stop and remember what’s gone. Ghostlight showcases a family unit that’s grappling with a devastating tragedy and can’t quite find the words to communicate what they’re feeling with each other, instead finding other outlets in which to invest their time and energy.

Dan (Keith Kupferer) is a construction worker who has just endured something awful. What it is exactly isn’t revealed right away, but he’s no longer as open as he used to be with his wife Sharon (Tara Mallen), and both parents are at a loss as to how to handle their teenage daughter, Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), who is acting out with a vengeance. A series of encounters with a local actress, Rita (Dolly De Leon), leads Dan to get involved with something he never would have imagined, a local production of Romeo and Juliet.

Ghostlight comes from married couple Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson, who wrote and directed, respectively, 2019’s Saint Frances. O’Sullivan trades her starring role for a co-directing credit, and she’s found the perfect substitute for her in front of the camera. Keith and Tara are real-life husband and wife, and Katherine is their daughter. O’Sullivan shared after a Sundance screening that there were moments where the family was interacting as they normally would and her instructions were to do the same thing once the cameras started rolling. Utilizing actors who are actually related to one another is an experiment that pays off very well, since this family feels like an authentic unit with its own share of particularities and complications.

There is a great deal of humor to be found in a story that might objectively read like a heavy drama. Daisy’s initial outburst that nearly gets her expelled from school, as performed fantastically by Katherine, demonstrates just how aggressively defiant she is, a far bigger personality than both of her parents combined. Dan’s introduction to the world of theater is an entertaining journey, one filled with overactors whose style clashes strongly with Dan’s very straightforward, almost lifeless line readings. That he doesn’t know anything about the story of Romeo and Juliet only adds to the absurdity of him being warmly embraced by true theater people. 

Part of the fun of seeing the play come to life is the casting of De Leon, who also steals the show with a remarkably different role in another film premiering at Sundance this year, Between the Temples. Rita is initially quite hostile to Dan, complaining about the noise of the construction, and later describes herself as the only asshole in the cast, noting that Dan is in fact a good actor after he tells her that he doesn’t think she’s an asshole. It’s a vibrant and delightful performance, mixing relentless sarcasm with unexpected heart. She sees much of who Dan is before he’s ready to share it with the group, but sometimes waits for him to figure things out on his own before doling out sage life advice.

Ghostlight segues from lighthearted comedy to poignant drama and then back again, masterfully handling those transitions in a way that feels subtle and natural. The film should evoke a sincere emotional response in audiences as they accompany this family on a journey towards some sort of acceptance of where their lives are. A thunderous standing ovation at a Sundance screening indicates a bright future for the film, which was sold to IFC Films and Sapan Studio midway through the festival. O’Sullivan and Thompson are a marvelous pair and bring just the right touch to each project they create together.

Grade: B+

Check out more of Abe Friedtanzer’s articles.

Ghostlight makes its world premiere in the Premieres section at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and will be released by IFC Films and Sapan Studio.