Prisoners of the Ghostland lacks any excitement and catharsis that made Sono the filmmaker he is today.

| Original Score: D | Mar 5, 2024

A world of total anarchy where samurais, cowboys, nuclear explosions, modern cars, and more collide to surround an otherwise simple narrative with nonsensically hilarious storylines and awesome action sequences.

| Original Score: A- | Jul 24, 2023

If you thought Mandy, Color Out of Space, Willy’s Wonderland or Pig offered up Nicolas Cage at maximum unhingedness, wait until you get a load of Sion Sono’s “delirious mash-up of Western, samurai movie and post-apocalyptic thriller”.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Mar 8, 2023

Prisoners Of The Ghostland doesn’t quite deliver on its outlandish premise but Cage does enough to merit it getting a release due to good behaviour.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 12, 2022

With a pinch of Kurosawa, a dollop of Mad Max, and a dash of Leone, Sono throws everything at the wall here and lets the audience decide whether they want to be along for the ride or not.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 22, 2022

This meeting between these two cinematic wildmen ends up being equally fascinating and frustrating. It’s just a shame that Sono’s story always feels secondary and his lust for the surreal is so overpowering.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 17, 2022

Tarantinesque fare ran through the Mad Max mill where everything goes. [Full review in Spanish]

| Jun 15, 2022

Then again, if the one thing missing in your life is seeing Nicolas Cage call a group of post-apocalyptic survivors a "bunch of bitches" while lamenting his lost testicle, this is the movie for you.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 19, 2022

Prisoners of the Ghostland has impressive production design and cinematography, but this visually stylish action flick is too much of an incoherent mess in all other areas to be a truly enjoyable experience.

| Apr 18, 2022

An entertaining enough film that is worth dissecting for its many themes lying under the surface.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Apr 10, 2022

Prisoners of The Ghostland will certainly have an audience, but throwing away the rulebook is only impressive if theres something to replace it with. For all Sono and Cages enthusiasm, the end result is just too messy.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Mar 3, 2022

Prisoners of the Ghostland is like a failed yet well-made pilot episode, one that teases high drama but doesnt have anything interesting to say about the characters.

| Feb 18, 2022

"Prisoners of the Ghostland" is so bad, that I am sure at some point, years from today, it will probably get the title of cult

| Original Score: 4/10 | Dec 30, 2021

It could be entertaining to the right viewer.

| Original Score: B- | Dec 27, 2021

Prisoners of the Ghostland tries to be something larger than it really is, and it doesn't spend enough time excelling in any certain spot to make itself stand out from the rest of the field.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 3, 2021

The movie is aptly titled, since most viewers will feel as if they're being held hostage by this dreary, punishing slog.

| Original Score: 1/4 | Nov 21, 2021

Prisoners of the Ghostland is certainly gonzo, but is there meaning to the madness? It seems ironic that a film which contains so much bizarre imagery could feel so lackluster at the same time.

| Original Score: 5.5/10 | Nov 18, 2021

A big, bold lesson about the perils of optimism.

| Nov 16, 2021

[It] doesn't conjure up much of a spark here; it's more bombast than lean...

| Original Score: 2/4 | Nov 13, 2021

Prisoners of the Ghostland is a hard film to take seriously. Thankfully, it doesn't take itself all that seriously either.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 12, 2021