The Ghost Writer (Movie Review)

*Updated December 2025

The Ghost Writer, Roman Polanski’s new film, is a political thriller that is set up almost exactly like Hitchcock’s campier classic suspense films such as Dial M for Murder or The Man Who Knew Too Much.

Quick answer: A modest, engaging political thriller, The Ghost Writer is uneven but enjoyable and your money will not be thrown away.

It has twists and turns, along with some occasionally silly dialogue with obvious winks for the audience. The acting is okay and the pacing is mixed. It begins well, drags through the middle and ends dynamically. Overall, it is a pleasing and modestly engaging film that is enjoyable. Your money will not be thrown away here.

The story, based on a book by Robert Harris, unfolds with a ghostwriter (Ewan McGregor) who is hired to complete the memoirs of a former British prime minister (Pierce Brosnan), who then later uncovers secrets that will put his own life in jeopardy.

This is not Polanski’s first stab at thrillers. He shot one 22 years ago called Frantic with Harrison Ford and that one went very well for him. I am not sure why he would take so long to entertain us with another one.

When you compare this movie to the great classic political thrillers in history such as All The President’s Men, The Manchurian Candidate (1962) or JFK, it is not as entertaining or as intriguing as those, but it also is not shameful by any stretch of the imagination.

It just happens that both Scorsese and Polanski have new movies out this Friday, February 19, 2010. Though they are vastly different directors, their latest films are thrillers. Shutter Island is the most absorbing and entertaining of the two. But if you cannot get tickets to that, The Ghost Writer is definitely a great option and it is a bit easier to figure out.

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