My quick rating – 7.1/10. I already knew going in that Joko Anwar was behind Ghost in the Cell, and if you know his work, particularly the Satan’s Slaves films, you know you’re probably in for some quality horror. The opening certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Upbeat music plays as the camera swoops around an office before settling on Dimas (Endy Arfian), a writer working on a story about nine workers who have died near the edge of the Nehea Forest. He’s under a deadline, which means I should probably get used to reading subtitles instead of taking notes. He submits the article to an angry boss who hates it, and shortly afterward that boss is violently stabbed to death. Then the returning employee gets a rather unpleasant ride on the ceiling fan, complete with dangling entrails. And then the title appears.

Okay, this looks like my kind of #Shocktober fun.

Then we’re taken to Labuhan Angsana prison, where the guards quickly demonstrate that “fun” is the last thing these inmates are having. Oppression, violence, and general misery are the daily routine, and things get considerably worse when Dimas arrives and prisoners start dying in increasingly horrific ways.

Eventually, the inmates learn there’s a ghost hunting people with the most negative aura or energy. Naturally, the obvious solution is to start doing good deeds and stay positive.

Easy enough, right? Except they’re in prison.

Trying to maintain positive energy while being surrounded by injustice, violence, and corrupt officials turns out to be somewhat difficult. Eventually, the inmates realize that staying alive means doing something even more difficult. Uniting against their oppressors. And apparently that includes fighting the supernatural ones too.

The horror here is fantastic. There are some wonderfully creative practical gore effects, and the mutilations can get downright disturbing. But what really surprised me was how well the comedy is woven into all of it. This isn’t satire disguised as horror; the story remains firmly in horror territory while occasionally dropping something absolutely ridiculous into the middle of the carnage.

The dance scene is a perfect example. It is hilarious, completely works within the story, and somehow makes sense because the prisoners are literally trying to avoid generating negative energy. And yes, stick around through the credits because apparently the inmates and wardens decided they weren’t done dancing yet.

The cast is also excellent across the board, with performances that sell both the disturbing moments and the absurd ones. The result is a surprisingly well-balanced horror comedy that mixes violence, bizarre humor, and some very pointed political jokes.

Underneath all the blood and laughter, Anwar is making a pretty clear critique of a corrupt system that punishes vulnerable people while protecting those with power. Somehow, Ghost in the Cell manages to make that point while also giving us ghosts, exploding bodies, and a prison full of people trying desperately to become nicer.

Not exactly your typical self-improvement program.