Ghost in the Shell
A cybernetic anti-terrorist investigator confronts a brain-hacking criminal while uncovering the corporate secrets that erased her former identity.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- neon-lit
- grave
- philosophical
- cyberpunk movie night
- visual science fiction marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly agreed that the film delivers striking cyberpunk visuals and a compelling Scarlett Johansson performance but falls short of the philosophical depth and distinctive magic of its source material.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Major has no recollections of her previous life and gradually discovers the truth behind her mechanical body and brain.
The film presents a densely stacked metropolis with Hong Kong-inspired buildings and enormous holographic billboards.
Hanka Robotics develops a secret full-body cybernetic experiment and controls the technology that sustains Major’s existence.
Major leads Section 9’s hunt for Kuze while the investigation reveals secrets about her own creation and past.
Films like Ghost in the Shell, and why
Blade Runner 2049
Shares cyberpunk world-building, questions of identity and consciousness, and visually elaborate science-fiction action.
Alita: Battle Angel
Shares a female-led cyberpunk investigation, transhumanist themes, dystopian urban imagery, and identity instability.
Ex Machina
Shares android consciousness, corporate control, philosophical science fiction, and tension between human and artificial identity.
Movie Details
- Director
- Rupert Sanders
- Release Date
- 2017-03-29
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (8763)
Cast
- Scarlett Johansson
- Takeshi Kitano
- Pilou Asbæk
- Michael Pitt
- Chin Han
- Juliette Binoche
- Peter Ferdinando
- Rila Fukushima
- Daniel Henshall
- Yutaka Izumihara
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Ghost in the Shell about?
- A cybernetic anti-terrorist investigator confronts a brain-hacking criminal while uncovering the corporate secrets that erased her former identity.
- What is Ghost in the Shell like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ghost in the Shell as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Ghost in the Shell violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Ghost in the Shell as moderate.
- What did critics think of Ghost in the Shell?
- Critics broadly agreed that the film delivers striking cyberpunk visuals and a compelling Scarlett Johansson performance but falls short of the philosophical depth and distinctive magic of its source material.
- Which films are like Ghost in the Shell?
- Films with a similar feel include Blade Runner 2049, Alita: Battle Angel, and Ex Machina.
- How long is Ghost in the Shell?
- Ghost in the Shell runs 107 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ghost in the Shell?
- In United States, Ghost in the Shell streams on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
In Ember's collections
Movies like Ghost in the Shell
- Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War2021
- PSYCHO-PASS: The Movie2015
- Appleseed: Ex Machina2007
- Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border 3: Ghost Tears2014
- Psycho-Pass: Providence2023
- Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border 4: Ghost Stands Alone2014
- Alita: Battle Angel2019
- Nemesis1992
- Altered Carbon: Resleeved2020
- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society2007
