Movie Review
Prisoners of Ghostland is like the movie equivalent of pineapple on pizza; you will either love it or hate it. It feels like a weird Frankenstein’s monster of different genres. There’s a little bit of dystopian apocalypse, a little bit of samurai action, a little bit of absurdist comedy, and a bunch of crazy (and totally cool) symbolism.
Worth Watching
This is a movie you really need to watch out for, albeit with some occasional bursts of editing that deliberately mess up the script.
The bold choices all feed into the “weird” hotspot of weirdness that accumulates throughout the film and keeps you glued to find out what happens next. Or roll your eyes and turn it off without a second glance—there’s really no middle ground here.
Now the story itself begins with three or four seemingly different scenes strung together at the beginning. Be patient, though, and the film becomes clearer.
Our setting is the border town of Samurai City, ruled by a particularly nasty warlord named The Governor.
A ruthless bank robber known simply as Hero is recruited for a rescue mission after a bank heist gone wrong. The Governor gives the Hero three days to bring back his granddaughter Bernice (five days if he can get Bernice to say her name before the allotted time runs out). Oh, and the Hero is also strapped in an explosive suit for good measure.
As the hero ventures out, he bites off more than he can chew in the wilderness, encountering bandits and confronting the terrible truth of what happened to him in the past.
Simple Story
Although the story is fairly simple, the ideas presented have many similarities to both Animal Farm and Mad Max.
With its colorful palette, some great cinematography and a lot of symbolism mixed in, Prisoners of Ghostland feels like an arthouse indie project. The problem is that all this is presented with a distinct lack of action and urgency.
Biggest Obstacles
These last two points are the biggest obstacles to this film. It takes longer for the main plot to continue and any action to seep into it. The world is certainly compelling and interesting to explore, but it’s not hard to see why this film received wildly different reviews from audiences and critics alike.
Final Verdict
For me personally, Prisoners of the Ghost land presents an interesting mix of ideas that are as frustrating as they are enjoyable. It’s a strange film, and if you can expect a polarizing experience, you’d best be prepared for what Nic Cage’s latest project throws at you.