Ghost in the Cell

A high-security prison under the yoke of a tyrannical warden is rocked by a spate of gruesome murders, with victims’ bodies put on morbidly spectacular display. Who is the perpetrator, and who will be the next prey? Between spontaneous dance-offs and sudden prayers, kinetic fistfights and Kierkegaard invocations, hapless inmates scramble for cover. Overcoming internal gang rivalry, they unite to decipher the motive behind the killings and pacify their invisible, otherworldly enemy. In Ghost in the Cell, Indonesian genre wizard Joko Anwar crafts a gleefully grotesque horror-comedy that is disarming in more ways than one. Featuring a teeming ensemble of goofy characters on the verge of breakdown, the film shuttles nimbly between levity and graphic brutality, producing laughter that often gets stuck in the throat. Making emphatic use of primary colours, Anwar lends his twelfth feature a painterly force, but with cheeky references to ecological plundering and worker exploitation, he also augments it with an irreverent, political edge. Yet this is no ‘elevated horror’, just pure genre fireworks. (Srikanth Srinivasan)

Joko Anwar, born 1976 in Medan, is an Indonesian writer-director known for combining genre cinema with social commentary. His work spans comedy, thriller, horror, and action, earning both critical acclaim and major box office success. His films have premiered at Venice, Toronto, Sundance and – coming up – the Berlinale, and screened widely worldwide. Several became record-breaking hits in Indonesia and traveled internationally. Anwar has also directed for HBO Asia and created a Netflix series that entered the U.S. Top 10.

Director Joko Anwar. Screenplay Joko Anwar. Cinematography Ical Tanjung. Editing Joko Anwar. Music Aghi Narottama, Tony Merle. Sound Design Peter Bawiec. Production Design Dennis Sutanto. Producer Tia Hasibuan. Production companies Come and See Pictures (Jakarta, Indonesia), Rapi Films (Jakarta, Indonesia), Barunson E&A (Seoul, South Korea), Legacy Pictures (Jakarta, Indonesia). With Abimana Aryasatya, Endy Arfian, Bront Palarae, Morgan Oey, Lukman Sardi, Danang Suryonegoro.

World sales Barunson E&A

Films: 2005: Janji Joni / Joni’s Promise. 2007: Kala / Dead Time: Kala, Pintu Terlarang / The Forbidden Door. 2012: Modus Anomali / Ritual. 2015: A Copy of My Mind. 2017: Pengabdi Setan / Satan’s Slaves. 2019: Gundala: Putra Petir / Gundala, Perempuan Tanah Jahanam / Impetigore. 2022: Pengabdi Setan 2: Communion / Satan’s Slaves 2: Communion. 2024: Siksa Kubur / Grave Torture. 2025: Pengepungan di Bukit Duri / The Siege at Thorn High. 2026: Ghost in the Cell.