People still argue about it. You’ve probably seen the meme or the still frame: a literal bedsheet with two black eye holes cut out, standing in a doorway. It looks like a low-budget Halloween costume. But then you look at the names attached. When A24 released A Ghost Story in 2017, the buzz wasn’t just about the slow-burn pacing or that infamous pie-eating scene. It was about the A Ghost Story cast and how director David Lowery managed to convince Oscar-caliber talent to hide under laundry for ninety minutes.
It’s a weird movie.
Casey Affleck plays C. Rooney Mara plays M. They are a couple living in a small, somewhat isolated house. Then, C dies in a car accident. He wakes up in the morgue as a ghost—the classic sheet kind—and walks back home. That’s basically the movie. But the complexity lies in what the actors do when you can’t see their faces.
The Physicality of Casey Affleck as the Ghost
Most people assume a stunt double or a random extra spent the whole movie under that sheet. Honestly, that’s what I thought the first time I watched it. But for a significant portion of the film, it really is Casey Affleck under there.
Lowery has been vocal in interviews about how difficult the costume was. It wasn't just a sheet thrown over a head; it was a complex rig. There was a helmet. There were petticoats to give the fabric a specific, non-human weight. If you've ever tried to move naturally while draped in heavy linen, you know it’s a nightmare. Affleck had to convey grief, longing, and the passage of centuries without speaking a single word or showing a micro-expression.
It’s a bizarre performance.
He’s just standing there. Yet, the way he tilts his head or sags his shoulders carries the weight of the entire narrative. Lowery mentioned that they actually tried using a body double early on, but it didn't work. The "ghost" didn't have the right presence. Affleck had to return to set to provide the specific body language that makes C feel like a lost soul rather than a prop. This is a huge part of why the A Ghost Story cast feels so grounded despite the supernatural premise.
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Rooney Mara and the Art of Grief
Then you have Rooney Mara. If Affleck’s job was to be a silent observer, Mara’s job was to be the emotional anchor. She has to carry the first third of the movie almost entirely through silence.
The pie scene. You know the one.
It’s nine minutes long. It’s a single, static shot. Mara sits on the floor and eats an entire chocolate pie. It sounds like a gimmick, but it’s one of the most raw depictions of "grief eating" ever put to film. Mara actually didn't even like pie before filming that. She had never eaten a whole pie in her life. The sheer commitment to that moment—the way her breathing changes, the way she eventually runs to the bathroom—is what makes the audience connect with the ghost’s refusal to leave. We see what he’s watching. We see her pain.
Mara’s performance is subtle. She isn't doing "big" acting. She’s just living in that house. Her chemistry with Affleck in the brief flashback scenes is crucial because if we don't believe they loved each other, the rest of the movie falls apart.
The Supporting Players: More Than Just Background
While the A Ghost Story cast is primarily a two-person show, a few key supporting roles shift the movie's philosophy.
- Will Oldham (Bonnie 'Prince' Billy): He plays the "Prognosticator" at a party. You might recognize him more for his music than his acting, but his monologue is the pivot point of the film. He spends several minutes explaining why nothing matters because the universe will eventually collapse. It’s cynical, rambling, and perfectly sets the stage for the ghost’s journey through time.
- Beryl Reid (The Neighbor Ghost): Okay, so Beryl Reid wasn't actually there—the ghost in the house next door is another actor in a floral sheet—but the "dialogue" between the two ghosts is handled via subtitles. It’s a heartbreaking beat in a film that is already pretty heavy.
- Rob Zabrecky: He plays the pioneer father in one of the time-jump sequences. His inclusion helps bridge the gap between the modern grief story and the larger, cosmic scale Lowery was aiming for.
Why the Casting Worked (And Why It Almost Didn't)
Lowery took a massive risk. He was coming off Pete’s Dragon, a big-budget Disney movie. He went from that to a tiny indie shot in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio (that square-ish look).
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The reason this specific A Ghost Story cast matters is because of the "star power" vs. "anonymity" paradox. Having an Oscar winner like Affleck under a sheet adds a layer of prestige that forces the audience to take the concept seriously. If it were a random actor, we might just laugh at the sheet. Because we know it's Affleck, we look closer. We look for the nuance.
It’s also worth noting the technical crew, who are basically part of the cast in a movie this visual. Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo had to light a man in a white sheet without making him look like a glowing blob or a flat shadow.
The Hidden Difficulty of the Sheet
Let's talk about that costume again because it’s the most important "character."
- Visibility: Affleck could barely see. He was essentially being guided around the set.
- Heat: Filming in Texas in the summer while wrapped in multiple layers of fabric is a recipe for heatstroke.
- The "Eyes": The black holes weren't just cutouts; they had to be perfectly positioned so the "face" didn't look goofy. If the sheet shifted an inch, the ghost went from "haunting" to "derpy."
Directing the Dead
David Lowery didn't want a horror movie. He wanted a "temporal" movie. When you look at how he directed the A Ghost Story cast, he wasn't asking for scares. He was asking for stillness.
He told the actors to move in slow motion, basically. He wanted the ghost to feel like he was unstuck in time. This is why the movie feels so dreamlike. The cast had to adapt to a pace that is completely foreign to modern cinema. Usually, editors cut away the "boring" parts. Lowery keeps the camera rolling. He makes you sit in the boredom and the silence until it becomes uncomfortable, and then, eventually, beautiful.
Misconceptions About the Production
Some people think the movie was improvised. It wasn't. While it feels loose and naturalistic, the script was actually quite specific about the movements and the timing.
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Another common myth is that the movie was filmed in a real haunted house. It wasn't. It was a house slated for demolition in Irving, Texas. The crumbling nature of the building was real—it was actually falling apart while they were filming—which added to the atmosphere of decay and the passage of time.
How to Appreciate the Performance on a Rewatch
If you’re going back to watch it again, pay attention to the "breathing" of the sheet.
There are moments where the fabric moves in a way that suggests a heart beating underneath, even though the character is dead. That’s not an accident. That’s the A Ghost Story cast working in tandem with the costume department to create something that feels alive and dead at the same time.
Look at Mara’s eyes in the scenes where she’s alone. She’s acting against a vacuum. She has to pretend she doesn't feel the presence of a six-foot-tall man in a sheet standing three feet away from her. That’s a specific kind of discipline.
Practical Takeaways for Film Buffs
Understanding the A Ghost Story cast helps you appreciate how "prestige" indie films are made. It’s not always about the dialogue. Sometimes it’s about what you take away.
- Study Body Language: If you’re an aspiring actor or filmmaker, watch this movie on mute. See how much story is told just through posture.
- Embrace the Silence: Notice how Lowery uses silence as a tool. In a world of loud blockbusters, silence is a narrative choice.
- Look for the "Invisible" Effort: Realize that the simplest things on screen (like a man in a sheet) often require the most technical precision behind the scenes.
The movie isn't for everyone. Some people find it incredibly boring. Others find it life-changing. But regardless of where you fall, the commitment of the A Ghost Story cast to such a bizarre, minimal concept is objectively impressive. They took a joke—a guy in a bedsheet—and turned it into a meditation on eternity.
To really get the most out of the film, watch it late at night with no distractions. Don't look at your phone. Let the slow pace wash over you. When you stop waiting for "something to happen," you'll realize that everything is already happening in the tiny, quiet shifts of the fabric and the long, heavy silences of the rooms. That’s the real magic of what Lowery and his team pulled off.