Finding a ghost named Ernest haunting their new home turns Kevin's family into overnight social media sensations. But when Kevin and Ernest investigate the mystery of Ernest's past, they become a target of the CIA.
Seeking a fresh start in Chicago, the Presley family moves into a dusty fixer-upper they soon realize comes with a catch: a ghost in the attic named Ernest (David Harbour). Despite Ernest's attempts at scaring teenage son Kevin (Jahi Winston), the detached, music-obsessed teen soon finds a kindred spirit in this trapped soul from the '70s and commits to helping him. Meanwhile, Kevin's affable-yet-harsh father Frank (Anthony Mackie) looks to cash in on Ernest by turning him into a social media sensation. When Frank's video of Ernest goes viral and captures the world's attention, the family lands on the radar of Dr. Leslie Monroe (Tig Notaro), a washed-up paranormal scientist who alerts her old boss, Deputy Director Arnold Schipley of the CIA (Steve Coulter), restarting a clandestine program aimed at capturing a ghost. As crowds, reporters, and government agents descend upon the Presley home, it's up to Kevin and his sharp-witted, fellow outcast neighbor Joy (Isabella Russo) to break Ernest out, uncover the mysteries of his past, and bring him the closure he needs before it's too late.—Netflix
One year after the last owners fled in terror, the Presleys are shown a house. Suspicious of the low price, the estate agent Barbara (Faith Ford) insists that recently prices have been low. Kevin is a guitarist. He doesn't get along with his father Frank.On the first night Kevin (Jahi Winston), the youngest, investigates a sound in the attic. Using his mobile phone light, a ghost appears. When he fails to scare Kevin but is instead met with a laugh, he vanishes. Kevin returns to the attic and sits down to talk with the ghost, only to discover that he is mute and does not remember his life back when he was alive. Kevin calls him Ernest (David Harbour) as that is the name on his bowling shirt. Suddenly Kevin's big brother Fulton (Niles Fitch) barges in and begins bullying Kevin for his phone, causing Ernest to help him. Fulton finds a video Kevin had recorded of Ernest when he first saw him and soon shows their father Frank (Anthony Mackie) that their new home is haunted by a ghost. Frank creates a YouTube channel, where the increased footage of Ernest eventually convince the public of his existence, turning the Presleys Internet-famous.Meanwhile Kevin tries to jog Ernest's memory by giving visual stimuli. He believes that memory loss is associated to trauma. Kevin wants to help Ernest as he is stuck and nobody wants to be stuck.
In high school Kevin meets Joy (Isabella Russo), the neighbor, who reveals to his house as the "House of Death" due to its abandoned state. Once the video of Ernest goes viral, they cross paths in the library and Joy quickly finds that the house's owner Ernest S. lived there from '65 to '71 and is now residing elsewhere, but he is not the titular ghost. The West Bay cable TV medium Judy Romano (Jennifer Coolidge) comes to film meeting Ernest.Frustrated with Frank for taking advantage of Ernest (Frank wants to monetize Ernest with merchandise, book deals etc) and failing to connect with him, Kevin shows Ernest various horror clips to help him scare off the set. It doesn't take long for Ernest to scare her crew and eventually Judy, who, while reacting in terror, jumps out the window. Frank is furious with Kevin and Ernest, but quickly profits off of the haunting and continues to ignore Kevin's warnings.
Joy convinces Kevin that they need to take Ernest out to a bar once belonging to the house's past owner to try and jog his memory. They start to uncover the truth about Ernest's past, discovering a photo of him with the previous house owner, and a little blonde girl at the park who gives Ernest vague flashbacks. Unfortunately, he unintentionally scares the child, causing the public to believe Ernest is malevolent.Meanwhile Frank is busy merchandising Ernest and launching new revenue streams like a cartoon series and so on.
Horror writer Dr. Leslie Monroe (Tig Notaro) visits Frank and Melanie (Erica Ash), telling them about an old program she ran with the CIA called Wizard Clip, with its goal in mind to capture a ghost. When costs of the program was made known to the public they scrapped it, making her the scapegoat. When she tries to convince them that Ernest is dangerous, Frank throws her out, but the viral video of Ernest at the park sets the CIA in motion. They break into the Presley home, but Kevin, Joy and Ernest have already left for Oklahoma to find the past house owner. The next morning the Presleys are coerced into doing an appeal to apprehend the trio. The broadcast comes on a convenience store TV and they outrun the many police cruisers chasing them.Meanwhile the bar owner contacts the CIA and shares the picture of Ernest with the previous house owner.
Arriving at the house in Oklahoma, the man, Ernest S. (Tom Bower), identifies Ernest as Randy, the brother-in-law of Ernest S.'s wife, Ramona. He claims that Randy became a drunk, not able to cope with his wife's death from giving birth. He left his four-year-old daughter with them and disappeared. The couple did not plan to have kids initially as they preferred to travel but instead continued to raise their niece, June. Ernest S says that perhaps Randy committed suicide or drank himself to death.Ernest makes himself visible, and the CIA swoops in. Back home, Kevin is depressed. Frank apologizes to him, recognizing he's been selfish at the family's expense, and tells Kevin he's a much better man than he is.
In the CIA facility, an aggressive agent is wearing a pin which triggers Ernest's memory. During a visit to the house, Ramona carried June away (Jo-Ann Robinson) while Ernest S. killed him with a blow to the head. Ernest is being acted upon for not complying, but Dr. Monroe rescues him, realizing he is not dangerous as well as the government's intentions for him.Ernest S. shows up at the house to kill Kevin, believing he's helping ghost Ernest get revenge. He reveals that when Randy's wife died, Ramona (who was infertile) plotted to murder Randy and take June for their own, with Ernest S. finishing the job for her. He chases him to the attic, where Ernest and Frank tackle him out of the window.The CIA interrogates Kevin, seeking Ernest the ghost. He doesn't divulge anything, but a flashback reveals that Kevin and Frank reunited him with his now 50+ year-old daughter June. Happy at last, Ernest finally is at peace and moves on to the afterlife, but not before sharing a heartwarming goodbye with Kevin.
The Presleys have a new moving day, but this time only a few miles away, and Kevin and Joy are now a couple. As Kevin leaves the house, a light flickers in the attic.
