I’m a horror fanatic, as is obvious by the everything about me. That being said, I’ve seen my fair share of takes on various supernatural monsters and creatures, some done much better than others. While vampires have always been the source of most of my attention, a close second have been ghosts. And boy, have I watched ghosts get massacred in some pieces of media. Their powers are unclear, sometimes limitless and sometimes barely even present, and the rules change depending on what scene is next.
But that’s not what we are talking about. Today, we are talking about School Spirits, one of the best takes on ghosts I have ever seen.
To keep it short and spoiler free, School Spirits tells the story of Maddie (Peyton List) a ghost who is trying to solve her own murder after she can’t remember anything about it. While the only living person who can see her is her best friend Simon (Kristian Ventura), Maddie is not alone. In fact, she is in a support group of other dead students in the school — artsy beatnik Rhonda (Sarah Yarkin), loveable jock Wally (Milo Manheim), sweetheart Charley (Nick Pugliese), and spacey hippie Dawn (RaeAnne Boon), who try in their own ways to help Maddie accept her death and try to move on.
Firstly, the world building in School Spirits is phenomenal. All of the ghosts lingering there have unresolved trauma, and they are all equally powered. No one can hear them, see them, and in Maddie’s case, the only times Simon can see her are in other rooms where students died (macabre, but makes sense). The ghosts also have something called “Field Days”, where they just destroy school property to get out their frustrations, and while there are temporary results, it is only on their plane of existence for a few moments — once they are done, the world returns to normal. Because we are not relying on the fact that these characters are ghosts to fill in gaps in the story, the writing can really be tight and impactful. Everything matters on this show; every line of dialogue, every room Maddie enters, and every single one of the characters’ motivations has a purpose.
For instance, because all of the ghosts are there because of trauma, they can really have an individualized response to that trauma and get the audience to be invested in them. When Rhonda explains who killed her and why, it completely justifies why she views the world so cynically — the only person she trusted ultimately betrayed her. Yarkin captures this beatnik, world wary cynicism perfectly. It can be difficult to navigate a character like that, with it so easily falling into unlikable, but Yarkin owns every scene she is in and creates one of the most fascinating and intriguing characters on the series. Wally died in a tragic accident, which explains why he is a little more positive about things and more relaxed in his ghostly state. However, his people pleasing nature and overly positive outlook are also revealed to be the result of traumatic relationships, which again makes him instantly relatable to audiences. And holy shit, does Milo Manheim bring the charm. I was a Wally stan from the moment his character walked on screen and I remain one to this day. Milo Manheim is a triple threat and is crazy talented, especially for someone so young. Another ghost in the group, Charley, also died in a tragic accident, but it was after he suffered one of the most humiliating and painful moments of his life, creating unfinished business that prevents him from moving on. Pugliese is certainly making Charley the heart of the group, conveying the character’s kindness and softness while possessing a biting wit effortlessly. And Dawn, poor Dawn….her spacey nature, her confusion, her very core was what led to her accidental death. And Boon is just the perfect casting for this role; she is delightful to watch and drove me to tears. Her eventual kinship with Maddie is truly one of the most wonderful moment in the series, and her eventual resolution makes sense. No one has to be overpowered or underpowered depending on the scene, they can just exist as ghosts.
Maddie, a spectacular leading lady in her own right, is one of my favourite versions of a ghost — she feels something like a halfling, unable to commit to death because she can’t remember how she died, and also because she can still connect to Simon. Maddie still has so many ties to this mortal coil, and these ties are ones she has to see daily even if they can’t see her, which adds to her unwillingness to accept her fate. Her ability to speak to the living is also something none of the other ghosts can do, and while it elevates her a little, it’s a plot point that still makes sense — she can only be seen by one person, and only in places where other students have died. And because Maddie is often the observer, it’s through other characters that we get to know Maddie. She is warm, she is brave, she is the first to help everyone around her — all traits that are exemplified by her actions. It’s such a special show when a character lives up to the hype of the characters around them. So often we are supposed to love a character for so many reasons, but we as the audience never see these reasons put into action. And Peyton List is the perfect lead, giving one of the most compelling performances I’ve seen in awhile. Watching the other ghosts become Maddie’s friends, especially in this terrible situation, is a recipe for success. You cannot help but love this little undead Breakfast Club and root for them. These are some of the best written ghosts and characters in television today.
And this is not to undersell Maddie’s living friends; Rainbow Wedell as Claire, Maddie’s former best friend and now rival, Kiara Pichardo as Nicole, Maddie’s artistic friend, and Spencer MacPherson as Xavier, Maddie’s complicated but ultimately sympathetic ex-boyfriend are all impeccable. Much like the ghosts, in Maddie’s absence, all of these unlikely people need to come together to help find Maddie as Simon spearheads this movement. And Simon, what a perfect character. What a good man. Kristian Ventura is one of the best leads I have ever seen and moved me to tears multiple times watching this series. Everyone on this series is impeccable, with the ability to make me cackle with laughter one moment and reduce me to tears the next.
All in all, School Spirits is a perfect show and if you love good supernatural shows, I cannot recommend this one enough. And I’m so fucking hype for Season 2 it literally keeps me up at night.