GHOST IN THE CELL is a 2026 movie by Joko Anwar getting its North American premiere at Fantastic Fest. This time, the horror has been combined with action and comedy. The result is one wild ride that includes a lot of blood, mutilation, and overall violence. At the same time, it shows the power of human nature when we work together. Read our full Ghost in the Cell movie review here!
GHOST IN THE CELL is horror master Joko Anwar’s take on a solid genre hybrid. We’re talking horror (of course), and then also a lot of action and some pitch-black comedy. The title refers to the fact that this plays out inside a prison, and yes, something paranormal is taking place. Of course, the corrupt warden doesn’t care much about any kind of trouble, so it will be up to the prisoners to fight back.
If you’ve watched any of Joko Anwar’s previous productions, you’ll know that he does not hold back. When he makes a horror movie, nobody is safe, and the violence is often brutally realistic. The kind where limbs are no longer connected to the torso. In this 2026 movie, he almost takes it a step further, which is only possible thanks to the comedy element. Otherwise, this would have been too extreme for most.
Continue reading our Ghost in the Cell movie review below. After getting its North American Premiere at Fantastic Fest, it will also be out in US theaters on October 22, 2026.
Morbid displays of vengeance
In Ghost in the Cell, which has nothing to do with Ghost in the Shell other than being a play on that title, the story is focused on a series of gruesome murders. The first one takes place outside of the high-security prison at the center of this story. A reporter is working late when his editor suddenly dies in a seriously macabre way.
As a result, and because everyone is corrupt, he finds himself inside this prison ruled by feuding gangs that use various forms of assault to maintain their power. Also, there is the classic warden, who isn’t as tyrannical as he is corrupt. The actual tyrant is one of the prison guards, who clearly enjoys beating up prisoners. Needless to say, he can always find a reason why someone deserves a beating.
When the reporter arrives, there’s a shift in the prison balance. Somehow, the arrival of this small-framed man with glasses appears to bring about several mysterious murders. One is more gruesome than the last and always leaves victims on morbid display.
Soon, it will become obvious that something supernatural or paranormal is taking place. Seeing someone dragged around by an invisible force will do that. Now it’s clear that no one is safe – not even trapped behind the bars of their own cell. Not while this murderous ghost entity is roaming the prison.
Anyone who wants to survive will have to be part of the solution, so most join in on a plan to get rid of the ghost. And yes, this is much easier said than done, but human beings have an innate survival instinct that benefits them here.
Watch Ghost in the Cell when you get the chance
Ghost in the Cell is written & directed by Joko Anwar, who is one of my favorite horror masters these years. And please trust that it really does not matter that you can’t understand their language. Dialogue is rarely the main thing in his movies, so you can handle reading subtitles to the extent that it’s necessary here.
What you’ll be rewarded with are movies that are absolutely amazing. Always horror, and sometimes with more heart and pain, while others (like this one) are more about the brutal ways human beings may leave this world. If you’re not familiar with Joko Anwar yet, then check out the Netflix horror anthology Joko Anwar’s Nightmares and Daydreams or, even better, Satan’s Slaves (2018), which I’ve rewatched on several Halloweens.
This is the perfect kind of movie for any genre film festival, as audiences there are bound to have a blast with the wild ride Joko Anwar offers. I was also very pleased to see that Ghost in the Cell already has a US theatrical release lined up. Right in time for Halloween season, so do check it out if it’s playing near you.
Ghost in the Cell will be out in U.S. theaters from October 22, 2026, after getting its North American Premiere at Fantastic Fest 2026.
📺 Watch trailer
Plot
Director Joko Anwar plunges viewers into a high-security prison ruled by feuding gangs and a tyrannical warden. The arrival of a new inmate kicks off a series of mysterious gruesome murders that leave its victims on morbid display. The hapless inmates trapped in the prison must overcome their rivalries to unmask an invisible, otherworldly enemy. No one is safe as the cells cage in the horrors and a ghost roams the prison with murderous intent.
Details
Writer & Director: Joko Anwar
Cast: Abimana Aryasatya, Almanzo Konoralma, Aming Sugandhi, Arswendy Bening Swara, Bront Palarae, Dimas Danang Suryonegoro
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