Ghost Killer
| Ghost Killer | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Kensuke Sonomura |
| Written by | Yugo Sakamoto |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Moritada Iju |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by | Nobuhiko Morino |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Well Go USA Entertainment (US) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | Japan[1] |
| Language | Japanese |
Ghost Killer (Japanese: ゴーストキラー, Hepburn: Gosuto Kira) is a 2024 Japanese action comedy fantasy film directed by Kensuke Sonomura.[2] The story follows a teenager who becomes connected to the ghost of a hitman and finds herself entangled in the man's dangerous past.
Cast
- Akari Takaishi as Fumika Matsuoka
- Mario Kuroba as Riku Kagehara
- Masanori Mimoto as Hideo Kudo
- Ayaka Higashino as Maho Iida
- Hidenobu Abera as Masaki Katayama
- Naoto Kuratomi as Narumi
- Satoshi Kibe as Katsushige
- Ryu Ichinose as Ryūsuke
- Naohiro Kawamoto as Masaharu Katsura
- Inoue Sora as Shungo Honda
- Yasukaze Motomiya
- Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi
- Yoshimi Tachi
- Takashi Kitadai
- Tatsuya Nakazawa
- Hiroto Honda
- Kenta Kawasaki
Background and development
Prior to making Ghost Killer, Yugo Sakamoto and Kensuke Sonomura worked together on the Baby Assassins film and television series of action comedies, with Sakamoto scripting and directing and Sonomura handling the action. For Ghost Killer, Sonomura took over as the director while Sakamoto scripted the film. The lead actress is Akari Takaishi who also appeared in the Baby Assassins franchise.[3][4]
Release
Ghost Killer premiered at the 2024 Fantastic Fest.[1] It later played at other film festivals, including Beyond Fest and Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival.[5] It was released on April 11, 2025 in Japan.[4]
Reception
Mark Schilling of The Japan Times said that the film land gags solidly and that its action scenes were brought together with a high level of skill. However, Schilling also wrote that the various plot turns were "all-too familiar, if not quite AI-generated dreck."[3]
James Perkins of Starburst complimented the fight choreography as being "refreshingly tangible. Rather than burying everything under frantic editing, the camera actually lets performers move", which he concluded as giving it "flashes of the balletic brutality of John Wick, but with scrappier, more playful energy."[6] Perkins found that what elevated Ghost Killer was its "unexpected humanity".[6] He stated that, "The relationship between Fumika and Kudo shifts from revenge to a closer understanding", and that the film "even slips in a light but pointed commentary on toxic masculinity and social apathy."[6]
Leslie Felperin of The Guardian commented that the film felt "targeted more at a masc-centric audience", but complimented that Sakamoto's script hinges on key scenes where women's right to not be degraded and injured by men are championed. The review also complimented that Fumika spends most of the film in tracksuit trousers, a puffer coat and a knitted beanie instead of "some kind of nymphet-adjacent outfit designed to titillate viewers."[2]
References
- 1 2 Grobar 2024.
- 1 2 Felperin 2026.
- 1 2 Schilling 2025.
- 1 2 Tanaka 2025.
- ↑ Ramachandran 2025.
- 1 2 3 Perkins.
Sources
- Felperin, Leslie (March 31, 2026). "Ghost Killer Review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 31, 2026. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- Grobar, Matt (August 15, 2024). "Fantastic Fest Unveils 2024 Lineup Featuring 'Terrifier 3,' 'Apartment 7A,' 'Anora,' 'Never Let Go' & More". Deadline. Archived from the original on August 15, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- Perkins, James "Magic". "Ghost Killer". Starburst. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- Ramachandran, Naman (December 19, 2025). "Miike Takashi's 'Sham' Among 26 Features in Japan Foundation's 2026 U.K. Film Tour (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on December 19, 2025. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- Schilling, Mark (April 10, 2025). "'Ghost Killer': Spirited Action and Sharp Humor Make for Deadly Fun Combo". The Japan Times. Tokyo, Japan. ISSN 0447-5763. Archived from the original on April 10, 2025. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
- Tanaka, Shinobu (April 11, 2025). "『ゴーストキラー』 髙石あかり インタビュー". Screen (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 11, 2025. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
External links
- Ghost Killer at IMDb