Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Prisoners of the Ghostland Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 14, 2022

Sion Sono's "Prisoners of the Ghostland" (2021) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the Elysian Film Group. The supplemental features on the disc include filmed Q&A session with Sion Sono and producer Ko Mori; promotional featurette; and original trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Strange robbers in a stranger place

If there is another Mad Max film, Sion Sono should direct it. Assuming he is given total freedom to create as he has until now, this future film will be an astonishing feast for the eyes and senses that will instantly be declared a contemporary cult classic. Sono has already directed a couple of such unforgettable films, but they have all been smaller films done with pretty modest budgets.

Prisoners of the Ghostland offers some quite good clues what this future Mad Max film might look like. It will be colorful and violent, bold and surreal. It will most likely be half a dozen other things at the moment you can even begin to imagine, too. And yes, it will absolutely be a risky film that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. But this is utterly irrelevant because even if this future film does not meet all expectations, it will be an event that everyone remembers, including the people that dislike it. In other words, it will turn out so different that it will be legitimately special.

Okay, I am looking at my computer screen and I can almost see you rolling your eyes, so let’s pause the enthusiasm for Sono and his work and come back to reality. You are probably right. There is zero chance Sono will ever be given the opportunity to direct a Mad Max film because there is a long list of bigger and safer directors that would easily meet the expectations its producers attach to it. And what would these expectations be? Look at George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road and you will quickly identify them. They will shape up a very particular, easy to digest summer blockbuster that rehashes a lot of what has already been done in the past. Sure, you will likely have a pretty good time with it, but only a few weeks later you will be talking about the next ‘big’ blockbuster that is about to open up at your local theater. And guess what? The next ‘big’ blockbuster will be pretty much exactly like the one before it.

Sono’s fictional Mad Max film would break this very familiar repetitive cycle. How do we know that this isn’t a baseless speculation? Because we already know how unpredictable his work can be even when his resources are limited. This is why Prisoners of the Ghostland is such an interesting film, too. Yes, it is mad, strange, and perplexing as well, but the main reason why viewing it is quite the roller-coaster ride is its unpredictability. You are told what Nic Cage’s mission is, but you don’t know what is happening in his head, whether what he sees is real or imaginary, and how his journey would end. When was the last time you saw another film like it?

Notice that I have not attempted to describe Prisoners of the Ghostland as a good film, though I really, really like it. Do you know why? Because it does not feel right. If I attempted to do it, I would be conceding that it needs to be evaluated in exactly the same way Mad Max: Fury Road and its relatives are. Prisoners of the Ghostland is a colorful cinematic cocktail of unique flavors and styles that is in a category of its own, and such it is completely immune to the dismissive criticism that has been thrown at it. Think about it. How exactly do you determine whether Cage’s performance is good or bad? He does not behave like a rational human being and therefore his performance is unconvincing? Well, guess what? He is forced to enter a radioactive desert where rational creatures are doomed to die, plus there is an explosive device with a timer wrapped around his testicles. How do you think your mind would be performing if you were in Cage’s shoes?

The humor that is intertwined with the bloody action cannot be critiqued for the exact same reason -- it does not have a traditional role. If you miss this crucial point, you will find some or most of it oddly mistimed, perplexing, perhaps even offensive.

Prisoners of the Ghostland Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Prisoners of the Ghostland arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Elysian Film Group.

I was very impressed with the technical presentation. I also have in my library this 4K Blu-ray release and on my system the 1080p and 4K presentations look very, very similar. Indeed, delineation, clarity, and especially depth are simply superb in 1080p, so even on a very large screen you should expect to see some pretty spectacular visuals. Colors are vibrant and incredibly nicely balanced, frequently creating the impression that they have been carefully optimized for maximum effect. Image stability is excellent as well. Finally, I did not detect any encoding anomalies to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Prisoners of the Ghostland Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The film has a fully digital soundtrack, so the 5.1 track is essentially a replica of the original mix that was approved by Sion Sono. On my system clarity, sharpness, and depth were terrific. Also, there are quite a few action sequences with some pretty neat surround effects. The dialog is very clear and remains stable throughout the entire film.

Prisoners of the Ghostland Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original UK theatrical trailer for Prisoners of the Ghostland. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Making of Featurette - this promotional featurette has clips from interviews with Nic Cage, Bill Moseley (The Governor), and Sofia Boutella (Bernice), as well as raw footage from the pre-production and shooting of Prisoners of the Ghostland. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• Q&A Session - this Q&A session features Sion Sono and producer Ko Mori and was filmed after the UK premiere of Prisoners of the Ghostland on August 28, 2021. It is moderated by critic Alan Jones. The bulk of the comments address the conception, production, and style of Prisoners of the Ghostand. In English, not subtitled. (28 min).

• Cover - reversible cover.

Prisoners of the Ghostland Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sion Sono told the truth when he declared that Prisoners of the Ghostland is the wildest film he has made to date. I personally think that it is utterly insane and one of the most unusual genre films we have seen in quite some time. Obviously, it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but this is perfectly fine because it does not need to be. One more thing. Nic Cage's status as a cult actor can no longer be disputed because there is no other contemporary actor that has taken as many risky parts and handled them as well as he has during the last couple of decades. This recent Region-B release from the Elysian Film Group offers an outstanding technical presentation of Prisoners of the Ghostland. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.