Prisoners of the Ghostland

Prisoners of the Ghostland is set in Samurai Town, a lawless frontier settlement where a notorious bank robber named Hero is pulled from jail by the wealthy warlord known as the Governor. The Governor's adopted granddaughter, Bernice, has run away, and he offers Hero his freedom if he brings her back. To make sure the job gets done, Hero is fitted with a leather suit rigged with explosives that will destroy itself in five days. His search carries him out of the town and into the desolate land surrounding it, while the mission becomes as much about his own redemption as about finding the young woman.

The film was directed by Sion Sono, his nineteenth feature in chronological order, following The Forest of Love. Aaron Hendry and Reza Sixo Safai wrote the screenplay, and the cast is led by Nicolas Cage as Hero, with Sofia Boutella as Bernice, Bill Moseley as the Governor, Nick Cassavetes, Tak Sakaguchi and Young Dais. It is a co-production between the United States and Japan, blending action, fantasy, horror, thriller and western elements.

Released in 2021 and running 103 minutes, the film drew modest audience scores, sitting at 4.2 on IMDb from around 16,000 votes and 5 on TMDB from roughly 684 votes. A critics' rating of 5.8 from 158 reviews places it slightly above the audience average, though both suggest a mixed response.