Ghosted Md, by Jarett Bellucci.

 

Ghosted MD, directed by Jarett Bellucci — a two-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker known for his work in both documentary and narrative cinema — is a medium-length pilot for a potential television series that seamlessly blends supernatural thriller, comedy, and medical drama. 

The narrative follows the misadventures of cardiologist Anastasia “Stacey” Dimas, compellingly portrayed by Nafsika Antypas, who also serves as screenwriter and executive producer. After attempting to save the life of a mysterious stranger struck by a hit-and-run driver, Stacey finds herself drawn into an investigation surrounding the criminal undercurrents of the incident.

True to the best traditions of serialized storytelling, the episode ends at a tantalizing moment — just as the ghost of the enigmatic stranger, having cautiously approached the protagonist, appears at her doorstep, seemingly ushering in the real beginning of the action-thriller arc. According to the series’ synopsis, the ensuing investigation will lead the protagonist deep into the underbelly of New York City — from seedy strip clubs to haunted mansions — in search of a truth that proves elusive, casting doubt on her own sanity. In parallel, she must come to terms not only with her inner conflicts but also with the feelings she begins to develop for the departed stranger.

What most distinctly characterizes the tone of this pilot is its sharp thread of humor, which permeates both the dialogue and direction. The result is a genre-bending creation that both adheres to and subverts conventional expectations — oscillating masterfully between melodrama and parody.

Its most elevated reference point lies within the canon of so-called supernatural cinema, that is, the artistic endeavor to render, with varying degrees of realism, a vision of the world beyond. Following an opening sequence reminiscent of a stylized music video — featuring dynamic editing, superimpositions, and elliptical transitions — the narrative soon narrows its focus on the protagonist’s wearying daily routine, gradually leading to the fateful encounter that catalyzes the story. It is at this juncture that the film begins its game of intertextual references, ascending to a new narrative plane where what initially appears familiar is revealed to be refreshingly novel, precisely because of its conscious engagement with foundational texts. What we now anticipate is a richly developed serial continuation — one that will expand upon the groundwork laid here, leading to destinations that remain, for the moment, thrillingly unforeseen.

​One cannot help but recall Jerry Zucker’s masterpiece Ghost — evoked already in the title — which, in 1990, marked such a groundbreaking moment in cinema that it effectively established a new narrative archetype. It became a seminal point of origin upon which a vast and enduring corpus of stories would be built, eagerly embraced by the film industry. The true innovation of Ghost perhaps lay in its portrayal of a love that transcended the divide between two worlds — characters so distant, yet profoundly connected. Love, in that context, became an extracorporeal force, capable of bridging seemingly insurmountable chasms. In the years that followed, cinema revisited this notion only sporadically, perhaps hesitant to tread too closely in the footsteps of its iconic predecessor.

Ghosted MD, however, deserves recognition precisely for its fearless engagement with that legacy. It boldly enters into dialogue with the “giant” that came before, unapologetically embracing its influence while transforming it into a knowing, metalinguistic exercise.