This Gritty Horror Western Features Nicolas Cage “at his absolute craziest”
I don’t think it’s any secret that many movie lovers consider Nicolas Cage a national treasure (no pun intended). One thing that makes the actor so appealing to the genre is that he doesn’t seem to mind appearing in low-budget indie horror fare. In fact, it almost seems the actor prefers it based on his recent output. Perhaps Cage’s willingness to appear in genre pictures stems from his status as a die-hard fan of horror cinema. His appreciation for the horror genre has led to several noteworthy appearances. Pig is a profound meditation on the futility of revenge, and Mandy is a surreal fever dream rendered in colors that are so vivid you can almost taste them.
Not all of Cage’s genre efforts get the recognition they deserve, though. And with that in mind, we are pleased to call attention to a less-celebrated Cage-centric effort that still has ample merit. We’re talking about the horror Western Prisoners of the Ghostland. The flick is now available to stream on Tubi, which is all the more encouragement we needed to call attention to it.
Here’s the setup per Google Movies:
In the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town, a ruthless bank robber (Cage) gets sprung from jail by a wealthy warlord (Moseley) whose adopted granddaughter has gone missing. He offers the prisoner his freedom in exchange for retrieving the runaway. Strapped into a leather suit that will self-destruct in five days, the bandit sets off on a journey to find the young woman — and his own path to redemption.
Though Prisoners of the Ghostland is far from what you’d call a critical darling, we at Dread Central see the film for what it is, rather than what it isn’t. In fact, Dread Central’s David Gelmini really connected with this one. In his FrightFest review, Gelmini praised the film as visually striking, taking care to commend the performances from both Cage and co-star Bill Moseley.
Gelmini goes on to say,
“Even if you find the plot to be hard to swallow, the gorgeous visuals will still offer plenty for your senses. Prisoners of the Ghostland is bound to become a cult classic in due time. Plus, it features Cage at his absolute craziest, making it one of the most unique and memorable films of 2021.“
To be fair, Gelmini also points out that the flick is tonally uneven and sometimes nonsensical, but he connected with it enough to give Prisoners of the Ghostland four stars out of five, which goes to show that even when a film doesn’t get every last thing right, it can still be a magical and immersive experience.
That is just about all that we have for you at present, dear reader. Make sure to stay tuned to Dread Central in the near future for more essential updates from the streaming space. Until then, you can always find me on Threads. I am active on the platform as @FunWithHorror.
Categorized: News
