Genre: Family/Supernatural
Director: Pete Docter
Writer: Chad Taylor
Cast: Billy Magnussen, Brooklynn Prince, Jason Segel, Mila Kunis, Sally Field, Aaron Eckhart, Sunny Paway, Sunny Suljic, Ellen Wong, Richard Kind
Plot: Fiona Molineaux (Brooklynn Prince) frolics in the backyard with her friends as her parents Stan (Jason Segel) and Joanna (Mila Kunis) watch on affectionately from their home. They talk about how they are going to inform her of the news and can’t decide who is going to deliver it. They end up deciding they’ll do it together. Fiona waves her neighborhood friends goodbye as they go to their homes. Joanna joins Fiona in her treehouse and Stan stays on the ladder with his head poking in, being too big to fit in it. They inform their daughter that Joanna has accepted a new job position and that they will be moving to a new city in a new state. Fiona doesn’t grasp what this means at first but then realizes that she won’t see her friends anymore and is going to have to start at a brand new school. They apologize but tell her that she’ll make new friends and a new home in their new town. They share a group hug with Stan almost falling from the ladder but catching himself.
The next week, they move into their new house - a nice two-bedroom home house in a quiet neighborhood. Fiona tries to make her new room feel like her old one but something isn’t quite right. She shares a small cry to herself. A man knocks on their door and introduces himself as Chip (Richard Kind). He has a pie in his hand and says his wife made it as a housewarming gift, which Joanna takes to the kitchen. Meanwhile, as Stan and Chip get to know each other, Chip asks Stan if the realtor told them the house secret. Stan doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Chip says that there are rumors that the house is haunted. Stan is surprised to hear this and says he was not told. He then laughs it off and asks Chip if he really believes in that stuff. Chip says he didn’t use to but seven different households have moved into the home since Chip moved to the neighborhood fifteen years ago. In her room, Fiona is listening in on this conversation and looks scared by this revelation.
With her first day of school coming up the next morning, Fiona lays restless in bed. She can’t seem to get asleep. She looks at her dark room when suddenly she thinks she sees a shadow move. She pulls her blanket up above her nose in fright. She closes her eyes, hoping any fear will go away. When she opens her eyes, the shadows aren’t moving anymore and she feels at ease. She then sees a ghost moving in the distance and lets out a scream of terror, prompting her parents to rush to her room to check on her. She tells them she thinks there is a ghost in here and Stan realizes that she might have overheard his conversation from earlier. He flicks the lights on and off to prove that there is nothing here. Joanna says that she is probably just nervous about the first day at a new school. To comfort her daughter, Joanna says she is just as nervous about her first day on the new job. They tuck her in and tell her everything is going to be alright.
The next day, Stan drops Fiona off at her new school. Being a few months into the school year, her teachers are very accommodating but the friends groups amongst students have already formed and Fiona feels on the outside looking in. In the hallways, a group of older kids start teasing her as they vape at their lockers. Jaxson (Sunny Suljic), the leader of the group, asks if her shirt is on backwards. She laughs it off before looking down and realizing it is. She turns red in embarrassment and runs to the bathroom to fix it and hide out. Her math teacher, Miss Meriweather (Ellen Wong), notices this and looks concerned. She goes to the bathroom to talk to Fiona but she bites her tongue and doesn’t respond.
In her room that night, Fiona is playing with her toys but is told by Joanna that it is time to go to bed. Joanna reveals that she bought her daughter a night-light, which Fiona says she’s too old for. Joanna says after that little episode the other day, she’s not too old for anything. She tells her that the night-light will protect her from the shadows. When Joanna leaves, Fiona looks at the night-light with a look of conceit, as if she knows that it does make her feel more comfortable.
She then sees the ghost from earlier move through her closed door but he is doing his own thing, with no attention to her. She is frozen in terror and her trembling causes the ghost (Billy Magnussen) to look at her (and he, too, freezes). After a beat, she screams again which prompts the ghost to also scream. As footsteps start to be heard in the hallway, the ghost pleads with her to be quiet until Joanna opens the door. She is a little angered, having faced this problem two nights in a row. Fiona insists that there is a ghost in the room but Joanna looks around and tells her there is no such thing. Fiona points to where he is standing and Joanna, to prove her point, walks over and stands at the same spot as the ghost. She asks her daughter if she wants to sleep in her parents bed but reminds her that she’d already previously told them she is too old for that. She insists that she is. Joanna kisses her terrified daughter on the forehead and insists that she get some sleep.
As soon as Joanna leaves, the ghost asks Fiona if she can actually see him. Still scared, she says that she can. He celebrates this and says no one has ever noticed him before. He says that he is not here to scare her before admitting to himself that it is probably too late for that. He introduces himself as Buddy and says that he is indeed a ghost. But ghosts can be nice! To prove this, he takes a few of her toys and starts to juggle them (which makes her crack a smile). However, he’s not the best juggler so he drops one and then drops them all - the sound of which prompts Joanna to yell for Fiona to go to sleep. Fiona and Buddy laugh about this. He tells her that not long ago, he was a human but he died in this house and has been trapped here ever since.
She asks why she can see him and not her mom. He says he isn’t sure but she is the first person he has encountered that can see him. We then see a montage of the various people who have moved into the house over the years. Buddy grows impatient with being unable to communicate with them so he finds ways to scare them off. Fiona breaks his story by saying that he has haunted the house. He confirms but says it is only because he needed someone to communicate with. And apparently she is the one! Stan, who looks tired, opens the door and tells Fiona that her mom has to get some sleep tomorrow and they can hear her talking from their room, so please go to bed. She apologizes and says she will. When he leaves, Buddy whispers that he will let her sleep but they will talk tomorrow.
Fiona wakes up excited the next morning. As she gets ready for school, she looks for him but he is nowhere to be found. Stan picks up on her behavior and asks what she is looking for. She is honest and says that she talked to the ghost last night. Upon hearing this, Stan and Joanna look at each other freaked out. They reiterate that ghosts aren’t real. Stan then tells her she should be focusing on school, as he’s sure he is already making plenty of friends. Fiona puts on a fake smile and says that she is.
At school, it is another tough day for Fiona as she has trouble fitting in. She is again bullied by Jaxson and his crew and no girls in her class stick up for her. She is not the only one, as a thin-framed nerdy kid named Niki (Sunny Pawar) is also a target of their ire and they knock down his books. Fiona sees this and helps him pick them up. They both complain about the crew before Niki formally introduces himself. Fiona talks about how she just moved here and then Niki says he’s seen someone moving in down the street from his family. When she tells him her street, they realize that they do indeed live in the neighborhood. They continue to talk about their shared interests.
Miss Meriweather again notices the bullying and decides to talk to Joanna after school when she picks up Fiona. She tells her of Fiona’s early struggles. Joanna is disappointed to hear this and decides not to tell Stan, as he thinks his daughter is happy. She debates asking Fiona about it on the drive back but decides against it. However, Fiona tells her mom that she made a new friend named Niki and he lives down the street from them. She asks if he can come over and Joanna says that’d be great.
When Niki comes over to visit, they start playing with toys and learning more about one another. As they do, Buddy makes his second appearances as he floats through the closed door and greets Fiona. Niki sees this, grows pale white, and passes out. Fiona panics and runs to her kitchen to get some aid supplies. Stan asks if everything is OK and she says of course. When she returns, Niki is waking up from his daze as Buddy watches nervously from the corner. Fiona gives him a glass of water before asking the million dollar question: can he see the ghost? He nervously confirms. This actually makes her happy as she starts to talk about how Buddy is her friend. Buddy says that if Niki can see him, then maybe that means only kids can see him. This all almost too much for Niki to take in at once and he almost passes out again.
The next day, Fiona complains to Buddy about how she is treated at school. She wishes she could tell her parents but she’s afraid they’ll be disappointed in her. He starts to give her advice on how to stand up for herself and how it will get better as she is there longer. Buddy then comes to a sudden realization with a big smile on his face.
Fiona and Niki ride their bikes as Jaxson and his gang follow on their bikes, heckling them. In Fiona’s hand, we see Jaxson’s vape pen. They arrive at Fiona’s home and run up to the porch. Standing in the doorway is someone in a white bed sheet, which Fiona and Niki hide behind. Jaxson laughs this off and calls it nonsense. He pulls off the bedsheet to reveal Buddy the ghost underneath, smiling down at Jaxson. Jaxson screams out in horror and hightails it out of there. Buddy gives Fiona and Niki the thumbs up.
Later that night, Buddy decides that it is time to tell Fiona something. When he lived in this house, he had a wife named Ellen and they were both fresh out of college. And then Buddy died unexpectedly and had to watch his widow grieve in those days after. And - he starts getting choked up - he couldn’t even communicate with her but instead had to keep watching. But then after a few weeks, she moved out and he has been stuck in this house since. He says the reason he has been scaring out everyone who has moved into the home is because they never had anyone he could communicate with. Mid-sentence, he realizes that this must be because none of them had kids. And the main reason he wanted to communicate with the occupants is that he wanted to get an update on Ellen.
Fiona’s eyes light up, realizing that she can be that connection. Buddy says he would’ve gone and looked for her on his own but he can not leave the house. Now Buddy’s eyes light up and he says that’s a great idea. She asks more about Ellen and Buddy reiterates that they were both young when he died so she is probably around 40 now. Fiona asks what if she has a new husband and Buddy says he’d be happy for her, although he has a look in his eyes that he hadn’t considered that before. She says that she can try to convince her parents to host some sort of dinner for former occupants of the home and invite Ellen over.
“No.”, Joanna and Stan say simultaneously. Fiona pleads with them, saying that Buddy is her friend and she is just trying to help. They say that Buddy is an imaginary friend and that they can’t just invite over strangers to their home like that. They’ll seem like crazy people. This prompts Fiona to burst into tears and run to her room. Stan and Joanna look at each other concerned.
Determined, Fiona wipes away her tears and tells her parents she is going to go visit Niki’s house to play. When she visits Niki, she recruits his help to look for Ellen since he has his own computer. At first they are worried that she might have changed her last name (which would make her much tougher to locate), but they have a breakthrough and think they have found the one. They look up her address and realize that it is within biking distance. Fiona asks if he wants to go on an adventure. Niki says that his parents would be worried but she tells him that they won’t even notice.
Cut to Niki’s parents at Stan and Joanna’s door, informing them that they can’t find the kids. They look worried and all pack in Joanna’s car to go look for them.
Fiona and Niki arrive at Ellen’s address and knock. An older lady (Sally Field) answers and Fiona asks if Ellen is home. The lady says that they are speaking to her and then asks if they are here to sell cookies. Fiona freezes, having thought that Fiona would be younger than this. Niki takes the lead and says they are not here to sell cookies. They begin to talk about who they are and why they are here (without mentioning Buddy’s ghost). Fiona invites her over to dinner at her home, Ellen’s old one. Ellen finds them sweet but declines, saying that it would bring back too many sad memories. Fiona looks disappointed but tells her she would understand. Seeing that they are exhausted, Ellen offers to serve them some lemonade.
Joanna’s car frantically parks in front of home and her and Stan rush to the door upon seeing the kids’ bikes outside. Ellen answers and they have a sigh of relief upon seeing Fiona. Fiona runs to them and says that this is Ellen, who used to live in their house. They profusely apologize but Ellen tells them how nice the kids were. Stan and Joanna look to each other, as if coming to the same realization at the same time. They both then simultaneously invite Ellen over dinner. Fiona pipes in to start to say that Ellen can’t but Joanna says that they would really love to know more about the home and the people that lived there in the past. And Stan adds that it is the least they can do for her showing hospitality to the kids. After some deliberation, she accepts for the next night.
Back at home, Stan and Joanna finish unpacking and setting up the home while Fiona excitedly tells Buddy the news. He puts on a fashion show for her to try on different ghost tuxedos for Ellen’s arrival (even though she won’t be able to see him). Fiona wants to tell Buddy that Ellen is older than he is expecting but can’t get herself to do it.
The big night comes and Stan and Fiona cook dinner while Joanna sets up the dinner table, including a spot for Fiona’s “imaginary” friend. There is a knock on the door and Fiona excitedly says she will get it. She goes to the door and, before she opens it, gives a look to Buddy at the end of the hallway (who is looking on in anticipation). She opens the door and time stands still as Ellen faces the emotions of stepping foot into this home again while Buddy faces the emotions of seeing his wife and realizing that more time has passed than he realized. They are both brought to tears.
Dinner starts off great as Buddy watches on adoringly to Ellen as she tells stories of her younger days, while Fiona observes him with joy. She then starts to tell the story of Buddy’s death before they are interrupted by a knock on the door. Stan and Joanna are confused as they weren’t expecting anyone else. Ellen apologizes and says she hopes they don’t mind that she invited someone else. They answer the door and a charming middle-aged man enters, with Ellen introducing her son Buddy Jr. (Aaron Eckhart). Buddy the ghost faints in the same fashion that Niki did upon seeing him (and then shortly popping back up).
Ellen explains that Buddy Jr. didn’t grow up in this house as she found out she was pregnant shortly after her husband’s death. She moved back in with her parents throughout the pregnancy and then decided to raise Buddy Jr. on her own, never remarrying. Fiona, knowing that Buddy would like to hear this, asks Buddy Jr. about his own life and what he does. He’s a successful business owner and a life-long bachelor. Stan and Joanna are impressed at their daughter (who is usually more shy). Buddy Jr. then says that bachelorhood has recently ended though. He says that he recently got married and, to bring things full circle, his wife is now pregnant with their first child.
As they wrap up dinner, Ellen thanks them for inviting her over. She says she wasn’t sure if she’d feel comfortable getting back in this house but she’s glad she did, as it turned out to be happier than she expected. A clear camaraderie now established between the families, Stan says she’s welcome to visit anytime. Ellen smiles and says she wouldn’t mind making this a regular thing. This causes Buddy to crack his biggest smile yet. In the spur of the moment, he puts his hand on Ellen’s and this sends chills down her spine. Joanna asks if there is something wrong and Ellen says no, she just felt for a second there like Buddy was there with them.
As Ellen and Buddy Jr. leave, Fiona and Buddy watch on happily. Suddenly, Ellen turns around and comes to Fiona at the door. She said she forgot something. She pulls out an envelope and says that she wrote a letter for Buddy. If she could, leave it in the garage and - who knows - maybe he’ll read it if he’s out there somewhere. Fiona says she will. Fiona tries to give Buddy the letter but he tells her to follow Ellen’s instructions and leave it in the garage.
Buddy tearfully reads the letter, which gives him a lot of the same updates that she said at the dinner table. She ends with “I miss you”.
He thanks Fiona for her help and she thanks him for being a friend during a time where she needed one. Buddy tells her they’re definitely his favorite family yet and he hopes they live here for a long time. She says the same. Stan hears Fiona talking and asks her who she is talking to. Fiona apologizes and says that she was just talking to herself again. She lets out a quiet giggle.
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