Spoiler-free

Sometimes love is all about the big and little risks we take together — “Ghosted” main character Cole Turner would agree. The mundane farmer learns this lesson as he embarks on an escapade across the world to find a beautiful “artist” woman he only met once. The phenomenal film, “Ghosted,” was recently released on April 21, on Apple TV, starring Chris Evans as Turner, alongside Ana de Armas, who plays Sadie Rhodes. Dexter Fletcher directed the movie, and the story was written by Ret Reese, who previously worked on “Deadpool.” Together, they have brought a humorous action movie to the table. 

When Turner is selling potted flowers at the mart, his fate collides with his love interest, Rhodes. With a bit of arguing, brushed off as playful banter, the romantic tension is high and it is followed by the most spellbinding experience of a date. It really seems like they will be together forever. Except, Turner wakes up the next couple of mornings denying the truth: he has been ghosted. Unwilling to give up, Turner tracks Rhodes’s location and flies to London for a surprise visit. There he finds out he fell in love with a secret agent and has been framed as the Taxman, a head spy. 

During the film, the feeling of suspense was inevitable, and sitting on the edge of my seat was where it became most comfortable. Aside from the obvious romantic cliches, the action-packed moments of car chase scenes, glass breaking and combat fights took the cake in production. The story’s twists and turns left me in shock and wondering what the writer thought of it all. 

Looking back on Evans’ filmography and all of his work with Marvel, I was right to expect the story’s plot to take an action-hero tone. Collaborating with Armas

turned out to be a perfect cast due to her background in crime-related movie projects; her performance was enchanting, and I nearly forgot she was a just character. The writers wrote Rhodes and Turner’s characters with realistic fears and emotions. Anyone could relate to their viewpoints; maybe even some viewers noticed they behaved in a manner to the characters in the film. With themes of emotional intelligence, conquering fears and taking risks, the movie sets itself apart from many features that are simply just plot-driven. Instead of throwing the characters into plot point after plot point, the audience gets to linger with Turner and Rhodes as if we are also part of the bond that is forming. As an audience member myself, being in the moment with the characters allowed me to notice and appreciate the writing in ways impossible if I solely focused on plot movement. I picked up a freeing viewpoint of gender roles, contrasting the personalities typically played by men and women. 

In the media still today, we often see women portrayed as soft, sensitive and clingy, while men are often seen as emotionally distant and tough. The roles are, in fact, reversed here, but it is beautiful because despite Rhodes being tough and strong, it does not make her any less of a woman, nor does Turner being clingy and soft make him any less of a man. It is a good story to show that sometimes women have to be strong for themselves and no one else because that is the reality many of us face today. It is important for men to be shown to be emotionally aware and intelligent because mental health has more effect than one could ever imagine. 

The well-written characters and plot of “Ghosted” bring something relatable and fun back to film and the cinematic experience of watching movies. People can look at the screen and relate, which is a beautiful thing to see. With strong themes of following what you feel, fearlessness and risk-taking, the audience is urged to apply the ideology to their life and

live freely with no regrets. All of the action and suspense are just a part of life, just as it is in the movie.