A notorious criminal must break an evil curse in order to rescue an abducted girl who has mysteriously disappeared.
A delirious mix of horror, fantasy, road movie, and pure absurdism, Nic Cage’s latest foray into Cinema Schizophrenique, Sion Sono’s “Prisoners of the Ghostland,” doesn’t quite attain the cult status of “Mandy,” “Color Out of Space,” or even the underrated “Mom and Dad.” Nor does it fall into the bottomless pit of Cage clunkers, boasting enough cinematic flair and, yes, insanity to warrant a recommendation. Without its star, mind you, this would be an entirely forgettable, albeit colorful, diversion.
The story meanders, from Cage’s released bank robber Hero embarking on a quest to save the (initially) mute Bernice (Sofia Boutella), daughter of the loony Governor (Bill Moseley), to escaping from a group of savages (who turn out to be rather kind), then it strays away from Cage for a while, prior to shifting gears again into redemption territory. It zooms by, slows to a crawl, before abruptly regaining speed. The dialogue falters and stutters, sometimes amusing (Cage screaming, “TESTICLE!!!”), mostly poor (“Ah, Psycho, all the people we hurt. They’re ghosts. All ghosts”).
Sion Soro knows how to frame a shot. Allusions to influences as wide-ranging as Terry Gilliam’s oeuvre and the “Mad Max” series abound. There’s no denying the visual splendor of the film. From the vibrant colors of the Governor’s domain to the rank outskirts of the titular land, every frame is carefully planned out (barring a few continuity errors, such as a giant clock irregularly exuding steam in one sequence). In fact, “Prisoners of the Ghostland” is so in love with its imagery, its mise en scéne, if you will, that it sometimes forgets to cohere, or find its pacing.
It does have its share of Cage-isms, insane moments that only Nic Cage could pull off, such as all the non-sequitur dialogue, the bonkers suit Hero wears, and a scene involving an exploding testicle. The actor is game, as always, pulling off lines that no one else could. He somehow makes a frankly problematic, underwritten hero — he’s a violence-prone, woman-beating, with a shoddy bank-robbing background — captivating.
Sofia Boutella does what she can with the cardboard Bernice, but there’s little room to breathe here, aside from a kick-ass sword-battle moment (check out the actress in this year’s superior “Settlers”). Moseley and Nick Cassavetes (the latter, unrecognizable, is perhaps the most unconventional casting choice) both bite into their roles with relish, elevating their sequences with all the chewing.
You can’t fault “Prisoners” for not being crazy enough. There’s just a nagging feeling that most of it is both forced and underwritten. Worth checking out for Cage and the impressive art production and cinematography, but not quite filed under the “essential Cage” category, then.
Available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & DVD November 16th
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