Ghostbusters
Plot
Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler work at Columbia University. where they delve into the paranormal and fiddle with many unethical experiments on their students. As they are kicked out of the University, they really understand the paranormal and go into business for themselves. Under the new snazzy business name of 'Ghostbusters', and living in the old firehouse building they work out of, they are called to rid New York City of paranormal phenomenon at everyone's whim. - for a price. They make national press as the media reports the Ghostbusters are the cause of it all. Thrown in jail by the EPA, the mayor takes a chance and calls on them to help save the city. Unbeknownst to all, a long dead Gozer worshiper (Evo Shandor) erected a downtown apartment building which is the cause of all the paranormal activity. They find out the building could resurrect the ancient Hittite god, Gozer, and bring an end to all of humanity. Who are you gonna call to stop this terrible world-ending menace?
Overall Series Review
Categorical Breakdown
The film operates on a universal meritocracy where the Ghostbusters' competence is the only thing that matters. The characters are judged by their skills, with the academic trio being competent scientists and the fourth member, Winston Zeddemore (the only non-white character), being hired for his practical skills. The primary antagonist is a white government official (Walter Peck) who represents regulatory incompetence, creating a 'common man vs. the bureaucracy' theme rather than a racial or intersectional conflict. The narrative avoids any vilification of 'whiteness' or forced diversity lecturing.
The central mission is a clear act of civic protection, dedicated to saving New York City and by extension, Western civilization, from an ancient Sumerian/Hittite god. The setting of the former firehouse (an institutional symbol) as their headquarters, and the final scene of the heroes receiving universal public praise, frames the home culture as worth fighting for. The only institutions criticized are a university that fired them and an unhelpful government agency (the EPA), not a deconstruction or demonization of Western heritage itself.
The score is low because the film does not engage with modern feminist tropes. The main female character, Dana Barrett, is possessed by a demon and becomes a primary damsel-in-distress, requiring a total rescue by the male protagonists. The Ghostbusters' secretary, Janine, is competent in her job but subservient in the workplace hierarchy. Peter Venkman, while arguably a 'bumbling idiot' in his attempt to flirt, is still the one who ultimately saves the woman. Masculinity is protective and competent, and there is no anti-natal or 'Girl Boss' messaging.
The film contains no explicit or implicit content related to LGBTQ+ ideology. Sexual identity is not a narrative theme. The primary relationship dynamic is the traditional, private courtship between a man and a woman (Peter Venkman and Dana Barrett). The focus is entirely on a fantastical, supernatural problem and the comedy derived from the Ghostbusters' low-brow professionalism.
The spiritual threat is an ancient, pagan god (Gozer) and its demonic minions, not Christianity. The film is fundamentally secular and modernist, as the characters defeat the supernatural threat using 'mad science' (proton packs and traps) rather than prayer or traditional exorcism, suggesting a victory of human ingenuity over the spiritual realm. However, the film does not actively demonize or ridicule Christianity; a conversation between Ray and Winston explicitly references the Bible in a matter-of-fact way, acknowledging faith as a private reality, thus avoiding a 10/10 level of anti-theism.