Ghost In The Cell is The Longest Yard meets Nightmare On Elm Street, and holy hell does that combo work like gangbusters!
Most came in expecting Ghost in The Cell to probably be the goriest film of this year’s Fantastic Fest. What nobody was expecting was for Ghost in The Cell to be both the funniest and most heart warming, as well!
Ghost In The Cell takes place in an Indonesian prison, filled with thieves, scammers, killers, and politicians, where, one day, prisoners start getting killed off, with their bodies displayed in macabre ways. Soon, the prisoners realize that something unseen is stalking them, choosing its prey from those most emotionally unstable. The only way they can survive is to come together, and to learn what it means to have “inner peace”.
Ghost In The Cell defies expectations by dropping us into an Indonesian prison that at first feels like the stereotypical bleak and grimy “hell on earth” prison these usually are portrayed as. But, as the bodies start to stack up, the film becomes less Animal Factory and more The Longest Yard, as the prisoners learn how to calm their nerves and work together.
Sure, the bloodshed is still very much there. The violence of Ghost In The Cell is both extreme and grand, as prisoners and guards alike are torn to pieces, and then displayed like macabre pieces of art. It’s always a bit shocking to see the final result, these bodies torn and twisted into such shapes it’s sometimes hard to see the human shape out of all the gunk and gore.
But, amongst all the brutality, we watch as this cell block made up of “scammers and thieves” have their lives turned upside down, in hilarious ways. Once it is determined who is being targeted by the vengeful ghost, these angry and violent criminals must learn how to find their inner peace, be it through prayer or through the arts; namely, dancing. This leads to some of the biggest laughs in my theater, as violent prison brawls are turned into dance competitions and rushed prayers, as everyone strives to be the “most peaceful”.
As these criminals start to work together, they also begin to learn how to get along. This is where the heart of Ghost In The Cell really lives, as we watch these men put aside their differences and work together. Every character has their own unique personality and strength within the group, making everyone distinct while making sure that we’re invested in seeing each of them make it out alive. It is a major departure to the usual way these types of hyper violent supernatural slashers are, with deplorable characters we can’t wait to see die. Here, it is a lot more fun watching these guys bicker and fight than watching the ghost tear them apart.
While it’s early in the fest, I have a feeling Ghost In The Cell is going to be the biggest surprise of the fest for me. I had enjoyed Joko Anwar’s previous films, most notably the insanely beautiful Impetigore, but I didn’t realize he had something so fun, so funny, and so heart warming up his sleeve. So, come to Ghost In The Cell for the horrifying corpse art, stay for the goofy Stripes/Bad News Bears styled comedy.
