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Picture
In a bizarre post-apocalyptic Japanese city, a criminal is recruited to
​rescue the governor's granddaughter or die a painful death trying.
ACTION

Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)

Directed by Sion Sono

Written by Aaron Hendry and Reza Sixo Safai

Starring Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Bill Moseley,
​Nick Cassavetes, Tak Sakaguchi, Young Dais

Caleb Leger
September 19, 2021
7/10
Nicolas Cage has been quoted as saying his latest, Prisoners of the Ghostland, is the wildest film he’s ever made. That’s just not a bold statement. That’s high praise coming from the well-known actor. Especially if you consider his career and acting style. On the former, you have a string of action and Oscar-nominated films followed by a long era of paycheck gigs to repay some debt which needed to be taken care of. As for his recent era, it’s been marked by a solid string of independent genre films which have caused many of his fans to point out his resurgence for those who wonder what happen to the actor. In the case of Pig, it also seems the critics are finally taking notice again as well. As for the latter, well, regardless of era, Cage has simply never phoned it in. He’s always been fully committed to his performances which are as engaging as they are beautifully over the top. His latest is no exception. 
 
Before I praise Cage in this film, I want to first talk about its style. This marks the English language debut of Japanese filmmaker Sion Sono. The best possible way to describe his debut here is a film which mixes the sensibilities of Japanese cinema with the more straight forward storytelling style of American films. All of this ultimately giving us a film which is equal parts strange and a joy to behold. Most importantly, though, it makes for an original viewing experience. Now, does this mix of various genres work in favor of the film? For the most part, yes. Every so often, though, it hinders it. Specifically, when plot points are being revealed and the information can be hard to understand. Luckily, regardless of the occasional hard to follow moment, the cast is incredibly game. Horror veteran, Bill Moseley, seems completely at home playing the antagonist. As for the main star, Cage himself, he delivers one of his more over the top performances we’ve seen from him. There are definitely scenes I will not forget thanks to him.  
 
The Cage renaissance shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. He delivers a glorious nutty performance in a truly bizarre film. One which doesn’t always succeed with its various genre mashups. But one which will keep your interest throughout. If for nothing else but to watch Cage lose his mind when one of his balls is blown off. You heard me right. TESTICLE!!! 
Connor Eyzaguirre
September 18, 2021
7/10
I don't even know where to start with this one. What in the absolute hell did I just watch? It's like Mad Max, Army of Darkness, Mandy, and The Last Samurai were all put in a blender and this impossible to categorize future cult classic is what got poured out. If you didn't believe Nicolas Cage was his own genre before now, I give you Prisoners of the Ghostland, the post-apocalyptic, samurai, Old West, ghost movie you didn't know you needed to see. Regrettably, it's not great, mostly because it's surprisingly boring a lot of the time, doesn't take full advantage of the insane scenario it presents, and perhaps most annoyingly of all, it steals a lot from Escape from New York.

In a world where a nuclear reactor wiped out a large chunk of Japan, irradiated the landscape, and drove people a wee bit mad, an unnamed notorious criminal (Cage) is recruited by the governor of Samurai Town (Moseley) to find and rescue his granddaughter Bernice (Boutella), who has vanished beyond the border. To incentivize him, the governor outfits Cage in an explosive suit that will detonate if he hurts Bernice, gets a boner, or tries to remove it. There's a scene where we literally see Cage lose a ball, and he handles it with all the grace I've come to expect from him. Of course, this being a post-apocalypse movie, the cliches are all there. Hero leads a revolution against the governor, and yadda yadda yadda. I was really hoping this was something new.

Prisoners of the Ghostland isn't quite the genre shake-up it was marketed as, but it's also a decent watch for the most part. There's a lot of stream of consciousness camera work, which I always fucking hate, but you also get to hear 1995 Best Actor Oscar winner Nic Cage scream "HI FUCKING YAAA!" after threatening to karate chop a desert mutant. 

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Filmgazm is made by movie lovers for movie lovers. We believe in the magic of film and we aim celebrate films of all genres and throughout cinema history, regardless of who's behind the camera or who financed it. We at Filmgazm believe that every film deserves to be reviewed on its own merits and that's what we are here to do. Enjoy the show!
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