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.
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.
