Overview
A thrilling battle against nature and the unknown unfolds in the heart of Africa.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- tense
- foreboding
- visceral
- adventure movie night
- thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film suspenseful and visually impressive as an African adventure, but uneven when it pursued supernatural profundity.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
John Henry Patterson must complete a railway bridge while lion attacks decimate the construction crew.
The attacking lions acquire supernatural associations through their repeated attacks and reputation among the workers.
The railway camp and bridge project become recurring targets for two predatory lions.
The film contrasts bright African landscapes and railway construction with stalking lions and violent attacks.
Films like The Ghost and the Darkness, and why
The Last King of Scotland
shared historical adventure setting, survival suspense, colonial-era conflict, and dangerous wilderness
Jaws
shared animal-attack horror, escalating isolation, and human survival against a relentless predator
King Solomon's Mines
shared period adventure, imperial setting, expeditionary danger, and heroic masculine rivalry
Movie Details
- Director
- Stephen Hopkins
- Release Date
- 1996-10-11
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (1205)
Cast
- Michael Douglas
- Val Kilmer
- Tom Wilkinson
- John Kani
- Emily Mortimer
- Bernard Hill
- Brian McCardie
- Om Puri
- Jack Devnarain
- Henry Cele
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 The Ghost and the Darkness about?
- A railway engineer and a veteran hunter join forces in colonial Kenya to stop two man-eating lions before a bridge project collapses into terror.
- What is The Ghost and the Darkness like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Ghost and the Darkness as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Ghost and the Darkness violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Ghost and the Darkness as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Ghost and the Darkness?
- Critics generally found the film suspenseful and visually impressive as an African adventure, but uneven when it pursued supernatural profundity.
- Which films are like The Ghost and the Darkness?
- Films with a similar feel include The Last King of Scotland, Jaws, and King Solomon's Mines.
- How long is The Ghost and the Darkness?
- The Ghost and the Darkness runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Ghost and the Darkness?
- In United States, The Ghost and the Darkness streams on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
