‘Ghost In the Cell’ Review: Joko Anwar’s Latest Is Expectedly Gnarly, Surprisingly Heart-Warming [Fantastic Fest]

Indonesian director Joko Anwar is known for dark, dour, and disturbing horror films. From Satan’s Slaves to Impetigore, Anwar has solidified himself as an essential horror voice of the 21st century, delivering nightmarish visions of supernatural demons with a taste for human flesh. Now, with his latest film, Ghost In the Cell, which played as part of the 2026 edition of Fantastic Fest, Anwar is showing off his funnier side. While he still delivers some of the nastiest and most graphic kill sequences of the year, Ghost In the Cell is ultimately a feel-good flick about what it means to stand together against a common threat. It’s certainly unexpected but definitely not unwelcome as Anwar crafts a lovingly chaotic atmosphere that has the audience smiling and screaming in equal measure.

The film opens with one hell of a cold open: a man is murdered and intricately impaled on his office’s ceiling fan. It’s like something out of Hellraiser or the simply iconic canceled-too-soon NBC series, Hannibal: both beautiful and horrifying to behold. From there, we’re transported a men’s prison in Jakarta where inmates are terrorized by guards who rule with an iron fist. It’s your typical prison narrative where we meet Anggoro (Abimana Aryasatya), who protects the weak and generally fights against the guards’ oppressive regime. But being the rebel never wins you any favors, so Anggoro is constantly having years added to his prison sentence. He spends his days with his small but loyal crew of weirdos, and they’ve learned to survive this hellhole.

Then, Dimas (Endy Arfian) arrives, a journalist accused of committing the ghastly murder seen in the cold open. But he doesn’t just bring himself into the prison; something has followed him, and it’s very angry. Quickly, bodies start to pile up as limbs are ripped from bodies and blood is used like paint to craft diabolical tableaus that almost belong in an art museum. As the remaining prisoners start to understand the rules of this demon’s murderous tendencies, they try to become a more united front against the invisible thing that wants to quite literally tear them apart. What ensues is a delightfully hilarious romp through a disgusting prison with some of the sweatiest men you’ll ever see. Plus, there are several dance numbers.