Prisoners of the Ghostland

Prisoners of the Ghostland is a 2021 American crime thriller film directed by Sion Sono, from a script by Aaron Hendry and Reza Sixo Safai. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Ed Skrein, Bill Moseley, Yuzuka Nakaya, and Tak Sakaguchi.

Prisoners of the Ghostland
Directed bySion Sono
Produced by
Written by
  • Aaron Hendry
  • Reza Sixo Safai
Starring
Music byJoseph Trapanese
CinematographySohei Tanikawa
Edited byTaylor Levy
Production
company
Distributed byRLJE Films[1]
Release date
  • January 31, 2021 (2021-01-31) (Sundance)
Running time
103 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 31, 2021. RLJE Films acquired distribution rights to the film.

Premise

A notorious criminal, Hero (Nicolas Cage), is sent to rescue the governor's daughter, who has disappeared into a dark supernatural universe. To escape the nightmare world, Hero must break the evil curse controlling the mysterious Ghostland.[3]

Cast

Production

Development

In December 2018, it was announced that Sion Sono was working on his first overseas production and English-language debut, Prisoners of the Ghostland, starring Nicolas Cage, which was described by Cage as "the wildest movie I've ever made."[5] In February 2019, shortly after Imogen Poots was cast in a starring role,[6][7] Sono underwent emergency surgery following a heart attack, halting pre-production on the film.[8] In November 2019, Sofia Boutella, Ed Skrein, Bill Moseley, Young Dais, and Tak Sakaguchi joined the cast, in undisclosed roles, from a script by Aaron Hendry and Reza Sixo Safai.[9] Safai, Laura Rister, Michael Mendelsohn, Ko Mori, and Nate Bolotin signed on as producers.[9]

Filming

Principal photography began on November 6, 2019, in Japan.[9][10][11] Filming also took place on March 31, 2020, in Los Angeles, California.[12]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 31, 2021.[13] RLJE Films acquired distribution rights to the film.[1]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 78% based on reviews from 54 critics, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Prisoners of the Ghostland is far from Sonos' most distinctive work, but viewers in the mood for a deliriously gonzo genre mash-up featuring an explosive performance from Nicolas Cage just might have a ball."[14] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 54 out of 100 based on reviews from 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[15]

Screen Daily commented posotively Sion Sono's film writing that: "The film is held captive by its myriad influences, but Cage is so high-spirited that you won’t mind being its prisoner".[16] Variety wrote a mixed to positive review, sentencing: "Somehow, it doesn't actually seem surprising that Cage would partner with Sono".[17] HorrorBuzz awarded the film with a rating of 6 on 10.[18]

References
  1. Welk, Brian (January 31, 2021). "Sundance 2021: What Has Sold So Far, From 'CODA' to 'Flee' (Photos)". TheWrap. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  2. "Prisoners of the Ghostland". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  3. Squires, John (December 14, 2020). "Your New Nic Cage Obsession May End Up Being Sion Sono's Action-Horror Movie 'Prisoners of the Ghostland'". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  4. Evangelista, Chris (January 26, 2021). "'Prisoners of the Ghostland' With Nicolas Cage Picked Up by RLJE Films Ahead of Sundance Premiere". /Film. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  5. Nordine, Michael (December 14, 2018). "Nicolas Cage Calls 'Prisoners of the Ghostland' 'The Wildest Movie I've Ever Made'". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  6. Evangelista, Chris (February 7, 2019). "Imogen Poots Joins Nicolas Cage in 'Prisoners of the Ghostland' Cast Following News that Director Sion Sono Suffered a Heart Attack". /Film. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  7. Ritman, Alex (February 6, 2019). "Berlin: Imogen Poots Joins Nic Cage in 'Prisoners of the Ghostland' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  8. Blair, Gavin J. (February 7, 2019). "Japanese Auteur Sion Sono Hospitalized After Heart Attack". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  9. Kay, Jeremy (November 6, 2019). "Sofia Boutella, Ed Skrein join 'Prisoners Of The Ghostland' (Exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  10. Squires, John (November 6, 2019). "Bill Moseley, Sofia Boutella and Ed Skrein Join Nicolas Cage in Sion Sono's 'Prisoners of the Ghostland'". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  11. Pai, Akshay (January 15, 2020). "Nicolas Cage's next 'Prisoners of Ghostland' is being directed by 'the most subversive filmmaker in Japan'". Meaww. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  12. "'Prisoners of the Ghostland'". ProductionList.com. March 31, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  13. Debruge, Peter (December 15, 2020). "Sundance Film Festival Lineup Features 38 First-Time Directors, Including Rebecca Hall and Robin Wright". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  14. "Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  15. "Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021) Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  16. Prisoners of the Ghostland Sundance Review
  17. Prisoners of the Ghostland Review Nicolas Cage
  18. Nicolas Cage in a Wasteland of Weirdness in Prisoners of the Ghostland
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