Ghosts: The Possession of Button House

British TV-to-movie spin-offs are often more miss than hit, from The Inbetweeners Movie(s) to the dreary David Brent: Life on the Road. But Ghosts: The Possession of Button House thankfully falls in the latter. The BBC sitcom’s big screen treatment has all the quirky magic that made the series garner such a sizeable cult following.

With Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike’s (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) departure from Button House following the birth of their daughter, the ghosts are helplessly lonely. Eternal optimist Kitty (Lolly Adefope) wishes for a new best friend. Clinging onto hope that Alison will die young and become his spectral lover, Thomas (Mathew Baynton) practises his grand soliloquy. And aside from longing for Brexit Britain, Julian (Simon Farnaby) just really wants some trousers. All the while, the house and its estate are due to be turned into a hotel and golf course, leading to protestors camping outside.

It takes a Freaky Friday turn when Julian swaps bodies with teenager Jack (Scott Ellis Watson) following a séance with his friends. What follows is a madcap adventure full of fish-out-of-water misunderstandings, largely stemming from Julian’s shock that mass privatisation did not lead to cheaper goods and services.

As always, the cast is infectiously lovable. Farnaby seizes his role with trademark gusto, while Watson is a welcome addition who perfects Julian’s stuffy affectations. It’s surprisingly moving, too, with Pat (Jim Howick) given an emotional arc that offers a glimpse into the life he was meant to have.

It’s perfectly presented for viewers unfamiliar with the series, albeit without exposition info-dumping. There’s also something undeniably endearing about a comedy film that doesn’t descend into crass humour, despite featuring scenes that could have easily turned crude in another writer’s hands.

It’s to be expected, though, that stretching a sitcom episode out to 97 minutes is never going to be as consistently funny as its small screen counterpart. The laughs are more sporadic than they are in the series, and there are sections of the film that feel as though they’re floating along rather than soaring. But when they do land, they’re highly memorable.

A charming, knowingly silly feature made for the fans, this big screen adaptation expands upon the Ghosts universe without sacrificing its heart. With all the guts and gore flicks hitting screens during spooky season, Ghosts: The Possession of Button House is a comforting séance with old pals.

Antonia Georgiou

Ghosts: The Possession of Button House is released nationwide on 23^rd October 2026.

Watch the trailer for Ghosts: The Possession of Button House here: