Ghost

Alexander Voitinsky's 2015 Russian film begins with the sudden death of a famous aircraft designer. He wakes as a ghost; nobody can see him and he has unfinished work. The only person who can see him is a seventh-grader, an outsider at school with no confidence. The two have to come to terms: the man wants to finish his project, the boy is dealing with the problems in his own life. The film keeps to the family comedy shape and follows a familiar path rather than pressing its idea hard, but it handles the generational gap and what each side can teach the other without lapsing into caricature. Fyodor Bondarchuk's arrogant, impatient ghost is the main source of the comedy. It did well at the Russian box office. Who it's for: family viewing and anyone curious about Russian popular cinema. Who it's not for: viewers wanting an unpredictable story and a ghost premise with depth.