By Mark Young
There is something about Far Eastern cinema that is just different. It’s the energy that is somehow transported onto the screen that carries a film along, even in its slow moments. Ghost Killer has that energy within it, a feeling that fizzes and crackles from its opening, where things go horribly wrong for hit man Kudo. Switching to student, Fumika, someone who already dreams of being able to stand up for herself, suddenly finds herself possessed by this spirit, who needs her to right the wrong of his execution.
Of course, it can’t go straight to the end; there has to be a trigger that sets Fumika off, as her interactions with men get worse, aligning her with Kudo’s need for revenge. Luckily, they are so indefensible that you fully want her to break bones. And she does, with some incredibly effective noises that indicate that bones may not be in the place that god intended. It’s played incredibly straight despite its premise, not just relying on set piece after set piece. It simply transplants a supernatural story and drops it into Japanese organised crime, keeping those traditional Yakuza features in place.
It has a grimy filter to it that doesn’t shy away from showing how bad these bad people are and how disposable life is in their world, where obstacles are removed in whatever method is best. Ultimately, it has to end with a ton of bullets and buckets of blood, served up with style and panache. It delivers in an engaging story that uses this fantastic premise in a believable manner.
Ghost Killer is released on digital platforms on 6 April 2026.
Bloody Flicks 