Written and directed by Joko Anwar
Starring Abimana Aryasatya, Endy Arfian, Bront Palarae, Yoga Pratama and Aming Sugandhi
Indonesia, 2026
GHOST IN THE CELL is an Indonesian horror movie set in a prison, which is already a pretty unpleasant place to be, even before a murderous ghost starts killing people. And the ghost in question isn't particularly discriminating about how gruesomely it dispatches its victims.
The story takes place in a corrupt, overcrowded prison where the inmates are at the mercy of brutal guards, crooked administrators and various criminal factions. When a new prisoner arrives, people start dying in spectacularly horrible ways, apparently at the hands of an invisible supernatural force. It turns out the ghost is attracted to people with particularly negative energy, which presents something of a problem in a building full of criminals.
The inmates eventually realize that their best chance of surviving might be to start behaving like decent human beings. Easier said than done, especially when they're trapped in a system that seems specifically designed to bring out the worst in everyone.
GHOST IN THE CELL has some things to say about corruption and the Indonesian prison system, but it's not about to let any of that get in the way of a good time. This could have been a pretty grim experience, considering the setting and subject matter, but director Joko Anwar has a sense of humor about the whole thing. Some of the murders are so ridiculous that I couldn't help laughing.
It's also a pretty dynamic-looking movie, with some great gore effects and a soundtrack I enjoyed enough to notice.
There are some memorable characters among the prisoners, including one particularly creepy inmate and the guy who comes closest to being a “hero,” an appealing character I found myself rooting for as the situation got increasingly ridiculous.
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