Neil George's indie short Ghost Searchers is a fun spin on a fairly familiar set-up, the world of the paranormal taken into a darkly comical realm as two rather hapless paranormal investigators, Jeff (Max Doubt) and Matt (Jonny Lee), are desperate for some biz as their 15 minutes of fame are long over and now they're once thriving practice is left to survive in a world that has become more suspect of all things otherworldly. 

Into this scenario arrives Robert (Dylan Terrill), whose new home is far from happy as a ghostly presence clings mightily to a life once known and it's up to Jeff and Matt to help this specter make it to the other side through finishing some unfinished business one way or another. 

Ghost Searchers is a fun little short, especially once we get through the obligatory introductions and the story really gets set loose. While George has a tendency toward the occasional gratuitous camera shot, Ghost Searchers is a no-budget indie that accomplishes quite a bit with its just shy of 20-minute running time. The film was an official selection of the Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival and San Francisco's Another Hole in the Head Film Festival and picked up the Good Life Audience Award at the Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema. The film engages and entertains, serious themes lurking underneath the surface of its good cheer and bits of humor. 

The film's practical special effects are surprisingly effective, the film's no-budget for the most part not impairing George's ability to tell the story he co-write with Hannah Spaulding and Lauren Hussey. Similarly, the ensemble cast seems to be having a good time with the material and is able to sell the film's humor and more serious moments to equal effect. While there's a little bit of the usual tinny echo that comes with no-budget filmmaking, you can tell that George and his team know what they're doing behind the boards and they've made things work surprisingly well. 

Ghost Searchers is available for your viewing pleasure now including on Amazon Prime - you can access it by clicking on the "Watch This Film" link in the credits. It's a great way to check out a new indie short and to support an up-and-coming indie filmmaker. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic