Ghost Killer is a laugh track with plenty of chaotic moments thanks to some of the action and the girl’s reaction to her newfound lot.
Ghost Killer, playing at Fantastic Fest, is an action-comedy with plenty of comedic moments amidst assassin battles. While ghost possession is already a scary or hilarious premise, when the possession is from a murdered assassin, the laughs surprisingly keep flowing. Revenge is the name of the game, but the goal is never simple, and issues arise for the ghost and girl, forcing them to work together. Ghost Killer is a laugh track with plenty of chaotic moments thanks to some of the action and the girl’s reaction to her newfound lot.
Directed by Kensuke Sonomura (Bad City, Hydra) and written by Yugo Sakamoto (Baby Assassins, Hangman’s Knot), the film follows Fumika Matsuoka, played by Akari Takaishi (Baby Assassins) as a young girl possessed by the vengeful ghost, assassin Hideo Kudo, played by Masanori Mimoto (Death Note, Alien vs. Ninja). But the film opens with Kudo’s soon-to-be demise as he fights off a crew of hired killers. Sonomura’s direction shines as audiences watch the cartridge from the bullet that killed Kudo travel throughout Japan—kicked around. After a frustrating meet-up with a man to learn about building social media and the industry, Fumika trips on some steps and picks up the cartridge. And so it begins.
Ghost Killer Nails Physical Comedy
From Fumika chucking items at and through Kudo to pouring salt on him to exorcise him, there are plenty of laughs. This includes the fighting. When Kudo first possesses Fumika, hilarity ensues as she slugs her foe, and everyone sounds shocked, including her. Much of the laughs are thanks to Akari Takaishi’s performance. She plays up the comedic aspects in her motions and facial expressions, leading audiences to one laugh after the next.
Shallow Characters Stifle Emotional Beats But Still a Fun Time
There is next to no background info on any of the main characters. Aside from snippets, audiences learn nothing about Fumika. She’s a college student, works at a pub, and has a friend. That’s all. Still, even without her background, it’s evident that she possesses a strong sense of right and wrong. She does not abandon a dangerous situation to make it someone else’s problem. Kudo is even more of an obscurity. Audiences hear about snippets of his character in the past rather than see it. So, the characters are flimsy. Although there is little depth to the characters, Ghost Killer still entertains.
However, the lack of fleshed-out characters does not deter the action or laughter. But the lack of it prevents emotional connections to the characters in Ghost Killer. Sure, people laugh at the comedy and gasp at the action. However, seeing anyone get teary-eyed or cry does not have the same impact. So, in that sense, the movie winds up lacking.
Ghost Killer is a bit of shallow but entertaining fun as an ordinary girl winds up in extraordinary circumstances, complete with a ghost, assassins, and a seedy underground organization. Most of the action, especially as the movie progresses, entertains. The movie utilizes items from its surroundings to fulfill Fumika’s “no killing” rule to great effect. Ghost Killer is lighthearted, fun—for the most part—and enjoyable, thanks to the cast expertly toeing the line between laughs and action.
